


Your Name

by SunshineChildx



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, It's the 'Kimi No Na Wa/Your Name' story but in Lumity version, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:54:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 115,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26300749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunshineChildx/pseuds/SunshineChildx
Summary: High-schoolers Luz and Amity are complete strangers living in different cities. But one night, they suddenly switch places. Luz wakes up in Amity's body, and viceversa, and then can't remember what happened while they were switched.When a dazzling comet lights up the night's sky, something shifts, and they seek each other out wanting something more - a chance to finally meet. But something more daunting than distance keeps them appart.Is the string of fate between Amity and Luz strong enough to bring them together, or will forces outside their control leave them forever separated?
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda
Comments: 158
Kudos: 264





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not me again writing Your Name AU's lmao.  
> If you've watched the movie (which is beautiful) then sit back, relax and please don't comment spoilers! If you haven't watched it, then buckle up because you're in for an awesome (and angsty) ride! :)  
> Disclaimer: I do not own this story nor the characters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For plot reasons, Hexside City is a metropolis, capital city of this world shared by humans and witches alike, and Bonesborough is a different place, a country village far from Hexside City. You'll get the hang of it :)  
> This is the prologue so they're slightly older, but in the fic Luz and Amity are 17 years old.

The sky is fragmented, broken like it never has been before. But for some reason, the vision makes a fascinating experience. Her whole body shudders, as if it knew what those lights meant long before she could even tell. As if part of her had accepted what they would bring. A promise, a spectacle, a vision, an omen, a curse. A fortunate event, a destiny already written. As if that part of her had already lived it and this was nothing more than a memory of some past life of hers. And, at the same time, this scenario is like nothing she’s ever lived before.

With a silent hum, soft and insignificant, hundreds of colored fragments pierce the sky beyond where she can see them. Drawing jagged lines in the turquoise vault, each of them gives off messy sparks of all shades. Blue, pink, green, yellow, orange. The lights dance around their beam that keeps falling, falling.

The choppy sunlight catches these fragments of sky with a thousand other colors in response, until they cross the mountain chain that forms the fluffy coating of clouds.

And it falls, falls. Until there are no more clouds and all the others are lost in the sky. The sparks of light follow this unique fragment of the universe in its descent, along with the silent buzz that it brings with it.

The city below soon glimpses the scene in awe. There’s no doubt, seeing the sky sprinkled with touches that follow the beam of the comet is a unique vision. For years people will talk about how a legendary comet kissed that forgotten village with a thousand colors.

The lights of the city flicker, expectant. And the fragment falls, falls, like fulfilling an old promise that nobody knew how to hear.

Her heart shrinks, expectant. And Luz knows that all her hazel irises now reflect is the glow of the comet.

* * *

Luz’s eyes are closed, tightly shut, her senses still find a way to betray her. A voice that she remembers as soft and calming dances in her ears, and a sweet smell tickles in her nose. They both make her feel something that Luz knows well, and her chest shrinks a little.

 _Nostalgia_.

The light filters through her eyelashes, warm and pleasant. Luz opens her eyes.

She finds herself pressed against a person that's very important to her, perfectly fitted, there’s no space between them. Her chest, still a little shrunk, rests on the other girl’s, steadier, and some locks of her green hair carelessly touch Luz’s cheek, almost tickling her. She looks away.

They are bound together in a way that’s difficult to understand. Right now Luz doesn’t feel worry, loneliness or fear, she’s filled with the biggest sense of calm she’s ever felt, a feeling of belonging floods through her chest. Like coming home after a long journey. Like holding the hand of someone you love. Like a much needed hug on a long day. A sweet feeling of having a unique place for her in the world wraps her whole body.

Intoxicated by this sense of calm, Luz gathers her courage and raises her eyes. That’s when the other girl’s sparkling golden eyes find the hazel of hers.

All of a sudden, Luz opens her eyes.

The ceiling of her room is the first thing that she sees. It takes her a few seconds to clear the fog in her mind, blurring the line between dream and reality. 

She finds that it has to be morning already; one like any other since she came to live alone in Hexside City. Luz closes her eyes again, trying to grasp the feeling that seconds ago filled her body, now it was fading away. 

_Hm. I guess I was having a nice dream._

Shaking her head, Luz gets up from the comfort of the bed.

In the two seconds that passed since she opened her eyes, that warm sense of familiarity fades between her fingers, despite her trying her best to keep it – to remember what made her feel like that in the first place.

The feeling vanishes as quickly as it came, leaving no trace, no lasting echo. It happens so suddenly that she finds tears streaming down her face.

Sometimes, when she wakes up in the morning, Luz finds herself crying.

_But she can never remember what she was dreaming about._

_Sitting on her bed, Amity stares at her right hand that wiped her tears just now. She notices that on her index finger still rests a rebel, immobile tear. Something swirls inside of her when she sees it, but Amity can hardly say exactly what it is. The tears that wet the back of her hand soon dry up and fade away as if they had never been there, just like the dream she had just a few moments ago and that she’s still trying to remember._

_That unknown feeling twists inside like every morning, telling her there’s something important. And like every morning, Amity can’t find an answer. This feeling, like the tears, like the dream, will fade if she waits long enough. Still, Amity’s still staring hard at her right hand, looking for the answer to that question that she lost long ago._

_She knows there was something important in her hand some time ago. Something so important that her heart shudders with an unknown and terribly familiar sensation._

_Amity closes her hand with a reflex motion, as if she could protect that something somehow – until she finds out what it was. Until she forgets again._

_She knows there was something important, but what was it?_

_Dazed and without an answer, like every morning, she gives up. Amity gets up from bed, clearing her mind and goes to the bathroom. The feeling of having lost something follows her for a while._

_As she washes her face to finally clear away these feelings, Amity gets the strange impression that she was once surprised at the warm temperature and taste of this water. She shoves aside these thoughts, too, which don’t make sense because Amity’s lived her whole life in Hexside City and she’s never tasted another water._

_Her gaze then finds the reflection of her golden eyes in the mirror. Amity makes a high ponytail, pulling the front hair out of her face. She sees the roots starting to grow brown and she sighs, looking at her herself in the mirror. A rather dissatisfied face looks back at her, and Amity still hasn’t gotten rid of the feeling that she’s missing something._

Luz carefully combs her wild dark brown hair while she looks absent-mindedly in the mirror. She’s glad she’s wearing it short again, it’s much more comfortable. The hazel in her irises shines tired, like almost every morning now.

Luz gets distracted looking for something to eat for breakfast and pauses an extra second as she walks past the photo she took with Eda and King last summer. With her bright smile and Eda’s arm over her little shoulders, Luz makes a mental promise to call them this afternoon.

She passes her arm through the sleeves of her spring dress still with her head on the clouds, ready to go through a day like any other. Yet in her mind there are still traces of a dream, of something familiar that Luz doesn’t quite understand but that doesn’t fade away either.

_Satisfied, Amity tightens the tie that she’s finally used to knot and she puts on the suit, as aquamarine waves of hair fall neatly down her back. At first she didn’t quite like the suit, but that fancy institute she attended made the students wear, both boys and girls, suits and ties for class; so Amity got used to them. She checks again that the pants are perfectly smoothed and she gives herself a nod of approval in the mirror. A faint gold gaze looks back at her, but Amity ignores it._

Making sure everything is alright and leaving herself a note so she doesn’t forget to call, Luz opens the apartment door.

_With a gentle thud, Amity closes the apartment door behind her. The morning light filters through her eyelashes and, like every morning, she rediscovers the landscape that’s now in front of her and that has watched her grow._

In front of her stretches the urban landscape of Hexside City. Luz’s been living in this city for just a couple of years, but she’s always amazed by it. Every day Luz finds herself discovering new things about it. Just as some time ago she memorized easily the name of the mountains where she felt the grass beneath her feet, now Luz can name some of the skyscrapers of the enormous and shiny metropolis that welcomed her. Holding her breath, with that slight feeling always at the back of her head, Luz ventures into it.

_Amity’s going fast. The access machines to the station are full of people, and she dives into this sea of strangers lost in her thoughts. Amity’s grown used to sharing public spaces with humans and witches alike. Disputes and discriminations between both races had fallen so much in the last decades thanks to a peaceful equality organization governed by Emperor Belos. Hexside City being the capital, it's much more difficult to see hostile attitudes now, where witches and humans have been working in friendly terms for many years. For this reason, Amity doesn’t cover her pointy ears as she walks through the crowd. She goes down the mechanical stairs…_

… And she gets on the train to go to work, like every morning. Luz leans against the door when it closes, starting the familiar rocking of the train at the start of the ride, and she observes the landscape that flows in front of her fast, like a movie. Trains, animals, cars, bikes, shops, children playing, old people going for a walk, young people going to school… Luz’s eyes hop from one to another, distracted, but inside she feels like she’s silently looking for something. It’s been a while since Luz feels like this, always looking for something, someone, in the huge crowd around her, not knowing exactly what she’s trying to find.

_Above her stretches a spring sky, faded white tones bathing the scenery that Amity’s seeing through the clean window of the train, beyond her reflection. Even so, her gaze focuses again on her hand for a second, and the sensation bursts back into her chest with sudden force. Amity ignores it with all her might; she doesn’t know exactly what it’s asking of her. She thinks of herself, of the place she holds in this city, in this world. Amity thinks of the people who care about her, and she thinks of the sense of emptiness that she secretly feels inside. Like she’s missing something, someone she doesn’t remember. As if she was alone, completely alone, in a wagon that carries a hundred people. On a train carrying a thousand strangers in a city with thousands of trains flowing through it, Amity observes._

And as she always does, Luz absent-mindedly watches the city. Searching for a feeling she doesn’t remember, but that tightens in her chest with the strength of a forgotten miracle. With the corner of her eye Luz catches her hair reflected on the window, the brown locks of hair intertwining and splitting with ease. Like the affluent of a river, merging and emerging. Like train tracks, with the thousands of people they carry, separating and converging.

_Amity’s immersed, trying to make sense of that feeling that flows through her chest and that cries out for her to find something, someone._

… And Luz looks for a person. A single person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the prologue/introduction that will make sense later. Now we jump into the real plot!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A glimpse into Luz's life! She's a good and bubbly kid, but there are some things she can't forgive yet.

The first thing Amity is aware of is that insistent noise breaking the silence. The sound of an alarm going off. The second thing she’s aware of is that it’s an alarm she doesn’t recognize.

She turns around, drowsy. She wonders if there’s any way to stop this noise without moving too much, or else she might break this slumber state she’s in and that doesn’t sound too appealing. Amity feels tired, though she’s pretty sure she’s slept. Memories of staying up late the night before wrapped in her drawings fly over her mind, and for a solid moment she curses herself for having this bad habit.

Amity remembers the shy rays of sunshine filtering through her curtains inside her room last night, when she hadn’t gone to bed yet. She remembers the warmth, and the drowsiness. A pleasant fog covers her mind again, and she lets it hold her.

“...ty... Amity...”

Through the thick fog of her mind, a voice comes to her, muffled. She doesn’t know if it’s part of a dream or it’s really happening. She only knows that it’s the voice of a girl.

“Amity... Amity.”

The distant voice grows clearer in her ears. For a moment it feels like that voice is about to burst into tears. Kind, as if it didn’t want to scare her. But intense, as if it wanted something from her. A voice that blinks like a distant star, broken with sadness, full of something Amity can’t read.

“Don't you remember me?”

The voice asks her with concern. For a moment, Amity feels a sting of nostalgia in her chest, but when she tries to dig deeper she finds that as fast as it came, it faded away. Amity doesn’t recognize her at all.

Suddenly the train stops and the doors open.

The thought comes fast like lightning.  _ It’s true, I’m on a train _ . 

Amity’s lost the notion of dream and reality, she only knows that she’s standing in a wagon full of people. At her back, at her side and all around her, the wagon is full of life. In the middle of all this hustle, she finds herself standing still.

In front of her, two hazel irises watch her. Her shiny short brown hair swings with the movement of the people around, who’re leaving the train in a hurry. Amity notices that the girl is wearing an orange ribbon on her wrist, as some sort of bracelet or lucky charm. The girl’s eyes are fixed on Amity, showing a mix of emotions. Expectation, excitement, confusion, fear. Amity opens her mouth, feeling like she should say something. And the girl, her uniformed silhouette, starts to move away from her, pushed by the crowd getting off the train.

“My name is... Luz!”

The girl shouts while she unties easily and with decision the ribbon that stood out against her beautiful tan skin, and tends it towards Amity. Without thinking, Amity extends her arm. Trying to get to her, to hold on to something. To the mysterious girl, who’s struggling to reach her. To the feeling that bursts in her chest. To the ribbon she’s extending – vivid orange, like the sunset rays that filter through her window every evening; the last light of the day, warm and comforting. As the crowd pushes her, and as Luz distances herself more and more, Amity grasps that color tightly.

Then, she wakes up.

The echo of that girl's words still resonates weakly in Amity’s ears. Or maybe the memory of her voice is in her mind.

_ Luz… _

She doesn’t recognize that girl, but… she looked heartbroken. Amity closes her eyes and her gaze finds her again. What Amity remembers, at least.

Those eyes on the verge of tears, the brightest hazel she’s ever seen. Beautiful, but so heartbroken. And that uniform Amity’s never seen in her life. Luz had a sad and grim expression, like she held the destiny of the universe itself in her hands.

Amity breathes out slowly. As she opens her eyes she also gets back her common sense. 

It’s just a dream. 

_ It’s just a dream _ . It doesn’t have any special meaning, it’s just her brain coming up with impossible scenarios and people that are not real. In fact, when Amity tries to remember the features of Luz’s face, they are already diffuse and hard to grasp. Even the echo in her ears has disappeared.

_ Still... _

Still, Amity’s heart is still pounding loudly, rebelling against the prison of her chest, like wanting to give the dream the meaning and importance that her head doesn’t. Confused, Amity decides to breathe  _ in _ . And breathe  _ out _ . Her heartbeat calms down after a few of those, and that’s when she really sees where she is.

Amity looks around and finds how a room she’s never seen before stretches in front of her. 

_ What? This can’t be right. _

On her right, a large window shows the rural landscape that's on the other side. Trees, grass, birds, and an intense blue sky that she doesn’t recognize extend as far as her eyes can reach. On her left is a nightstand with a couple of books with titles ‘The Good Witch Azura’ she surprisingly has read before, and a frame with a photo of a young girl with a huge smile, a strange-looking dog and an old lady; but she doesn’t recognize them either.

_ What’s going on? Where am I? _

Amity looks around as anxiety starts building up inside.

A shelf full of books, a half-opened closet with messy clothes falling out, an old lamp hanging from the ceiling, a corkboard with stickers, notes and photos stuck with thumbtacks, a calendar, a study table with more books and a large music player, a uniform hanging on a hanger on the wall, and again the window letting playful rays of sunshine through. Amity looks at her surroundings like it was a movie and Amity was the one watching what happens. She tries to remember if she’s ever been in a place like this, but she can’t seem to remember. Maybe she’s still dreaming.

“Huh?”

She feels a strange feeling all around her body. She feels different. Physically different, as if she wasn’t used to being in her own body. She looks down and she doesn’t recognize the grey sleeveless top and purple shorts she’s wearing, either. It’s like…

“Are you still in bed, Luz?”

She quickly turns to the voice and finds a strange-looking dog standing by the door. She recognizes him as the one from the framed picture she saw before next to the bed. 

_ A demon. _

It wasn’t strange seeing witches having demon companions. They can take many forms; though most of them were dangerous and wild beasts, some of them opted to live a civilized and comfortable life alongside witches. Amity guesses this demon is one of those.

The demon doesn’t look too big or dangerous, though Amity hasn’t studied much about those creatures. Dark gray fur covers his tiny body, except his torso and the tip of his tail that are covered in light gray fur, and the points on his head where he has two thorns growing. One of those is broken; she wonders what happened to it. From his neck hangs a collar with a yellow tag, much like a house dog. Amity hasn’t quite understood what he said.

“Luz…?” Amity points at herself, head tilted in confusion.

_ Is he talking to me? _

“Are you still half asleep or what?” The demon says. “Breakfast is ready, come down fast or I’ll eat your food!”

He closes the door with a thud, leaving Amity a bit startled.  _ Am I still dreaming?  _ As if on cue, Amity’s guts roar. The idea of going down and having breakfast sounds great to her. She’s getting up when, from the corner of her eye, she finds a stand-up mirror. Amity stares at it.

Following an impulse, Amity takes a few steps through the warm wooden floor until she stands before it. Her mind is blank, the only thing Amity sees is her reflection. She slides her sleeveless top slightly over her shoulders, still warm, and the fabric falls lightly to the ground. Amity’s naked, but she doesn’t feel cold. She doesn’t feel anything. Without blinking, she stares at the body that’s reflected in the mirror.

With tangles here and there, a short brown hair frames a rounded face, hazel eyes, big and bright, soft lips, and tan skin. Below, the delicate curve of the neck and marked clavicles. Some ribs slightly visible, and from there a waist marked by a soft curve.

“Huh?”

Amity fanatically stares at the face that returns her gaze. Jumping from one point to another with her eyes opened wide. That person moves at the same time she does, so there’s no doubt that’s her. But, at the same time, the girl Amity sees in the mirror is someone she’s never seen in her life.

“What...?”

She runs her hands through the body – Amity’s body? – touching her face – Amity’s face? –passing her fingers through her hair. Amity feels the pressure of her own hands, her hair on the back of her neck bristling. Her pointy ears are gone, too. Instead, she finds her ears round like a human. Amity notices her hearing has changed; she hears some muffled voices on the floor below and the sound of her heart, hammering against her chest, echoing in her ears.

_ This isn’t me. _

The hazel eyes that look back at her in the mirror are puzzled, frightened, confused. And yet, they are the most beautiful color Amity has ever seen.

_ Who is this girl? _

Suddenly, the haze that filled her mind since she woke up vanishes. In an instant, her mind is crystal clear.

_ What’s happening to me!? _

Amity can’t contain herself anymore. She screams.

* * *

“You're awfully slow today,” King says, eyes glued to his breakfast, when Luz enters the living room.

“I'll make breakfast tomorrow,” Luz replies apologetically.

She hears the sounds of satisfaction coming from King, mixed with noises of him chewing, so Luz understands he’s okay with it. She gets the toast King had prepared for her in the toaster and grabs whatever is nearby to spread on it.

“You want what was left over last night, Eda?”

With her mouth full of food, King now turns to their caretaker, who is a few steps further in the kitchen frying some eggs. The witch shakes her head. After a few minutes, she walks to the table with them, placing an egg on each one of their plates.

“This is so good!” Luz says, happy to please her tummy. Eda always says that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and Luz couldn’t agree more. She smiles at her. “Thank you, Eda.”

As she eats, she notices a pair of eyes watching her, but Luz doesn’t bother to look up from her plate.

“You're normal today.”

King casually sasy with his eyes gleaming with curiosity, not taking his eyes off Luz, as if studying every movement she makes. Luz doesn’t like the way he’s staring. She waits for King to continue elaborating, but he doesn’t add anything else.

“What?” Luz asks. 

While she eats, Eda also stares at her. 

Her long and white greyish hair goes wild and untamed like every day. Eda sometimes talks of how she used to be ginger before, but Luz doesn’t remember those times. Eda with her hair orange, the same tone as the ribbon Luz’s been using as a bracelet everyday, sounds strange to her.

Eda’s ivory skin is much paler than Luz’s tan skin, and she proudly shows the wrinkles that have grown on her skin over the years. When she was a kid, Eda used to tell Luz and King that each wrinkle was a valuable lesson she had learnt in life, and King would reply fascinated that she had to be very wise, then. Luz doesn’t believe the whole wrinkle thing anymore, but she does believe that their Eda is the wisest person she knows. Also, the most powerful witch in the Demon Realm.

Next to her, leaning on the table, is her owl-shaped staff that she’s had ever since Luz can remember. Perhaps it was because of it that everyone in the town started to affectionately call her the Owl Lady, even if her real name is Edalyn Clawthorne.

While she eats, her golden eyes scrutinize Luz. This is uncomfortable.

“What?” King repeats, as if the answer was something obvious. “Yesterday you acted really strange! Weird! You were randomly shouting all the time...!”

Luz can believe the shouting part, she knows she’s loud and very expressive, but King is used to the way Luz is and he’s usually just like her. Luz doesn’t understand what she must’ve done that was so strange in King’s eyes and, most importantly, Eda’s.

They both look at her like someone examining a suspicious object. Luz doesn’t like this feeling, doesn’t like being watched like this. Maybe they’re just teasing her.

“What are you talking about, King?”

Luz frowns. Eda looks away and focuses on drinking her tea, and King looks even more confused that Luz doesn’t understand. But Luz’s resolved to not drop the subject until they tell her what’s going on.

<<Good morning everyone>>>

Suddenly the loudspeakers they have in the living room start to sound, and Luz almost flinches. In summer, King and Luz use it to play music and dance, but Eda always changes the channel to the town news, excessively loud.

<<This is a report from the town hall of Bonesborough>>>

This voice belongs to Willow's older sister – Willow is Luz’s best friend – who works in the town hall's regional communications department. Bonesborough has a population of about 1500 residents. As Luz lives in a dull and tiny village, most people are acquaintances or acquaintances of acquaintances. Luz holds her head with boredom in her left hand while she eats, giving up and listening to what the radio has to say. The sound of the first summer cicadas can be heard off in the background.

<<Now we offer the news of the day>>

The words that emerge from the loudspeakers are pronounced with care, read word by word with enthusiasm. The loudspeakers are also installed outside the houses throughout the village, so the retransmission sounds again and again with insistence, as recited in canon, until it becomes dizzying. But it's something they are all used to.

Every day and a total of twelve times, in the morning and at dusk, a retransmission through the wireless line of disaster prevention is emitted without fail. Every house in the village has a receiver, or radio as King and Luz call it. Around there they are informed of the events of the village in an exhaustive and impeccable way – the date of the sports festival, the contact telephone number of those in charge of clearing the snow, who was born yesterday or whose funeral is today, and things like that.

<<As a result of the municipal elections for mayor of Bonesborough on the 20th of next month, the Elections Administration Committee wishes to...>>

_ Click _ .

The loudspeakers located on the post next to the porch of the house mute. Since she can't reach the speakers because for some reason she got them installed excessively high -Luz guesses she didn’t want them to be at King’s reach-, Eda has disconnected the cable in a silent display of her anger. Neither King nor Luz are surprised. As the election date approaches, this usually happens every morning. And if Eda didn't turn off the radio every time they mentioned the elections, Luz would.

As usual every morning, Luz takes the remote control and turns on the television. The presenter of WTV, Witchling Television, starts to speak cheerfully, and little by little the voice of Willow's sister fades away.

“The arrival of this comet, which takes place once every 1200 years, is at last only a month away. It is estimated to be visible to the naked eye for several days and, with the imminent of what is now considered the celestial spectacle of the century, all the research agencies in the world, starting with the Hexside Aerospace Exploration Agency, have begun preparations for its observation.”

On the screen appears the headline <<The comet Tiamat, visible to the naked eye in a month?>> next to blurred images of it. For one reason or another, the conversation is interrupted and the only sound that’s left is the three of them eating breakfast, as if each one were lost in their own thoughts, mixed in the background with the broadcast of the WTV.

“Can’t you just make up and be okay with her?”

King suddenly says. His gaze is sincere and serious, demanding as the ‘King of Demons’, like he calls himself. Luz understands it's something he's worried about and something he's been thinking about for a long time, but King doesn't know half the story, and Luz can't tell him.

Something tightens up in her chest for a second, and the reply Luz gives him is more violent than she would have liked.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about, King!” Luz yells at him. 

She doesn’t look up to see his reaction, but she knows King looked at Eda. Luz knows Eda feels the same as Luz, but she doesn’t answer anything to King anyway. She shuts up, finishing her breakfast without adding anything else. In the distance there’s a sharp, lazy whistle of a black bird.

Luz finishes her food and goes up to her room. She’s in a hurry, she doesn’t want to be late for class, but this is something she has to do every morning. She opens the jewelry drawer, which only has a pair of earrings that she hasn’t worn in years, some necklaces, Good Witch Azura’s hairpins and bracelets that her friends gave her a long time ago. Luz delicately takes out the orange ribbon from the drawer and places it carefully around her wrist, making a bracelet with it. Luz smiles, satisfied, the mirror returning her gesture with her short hair falling free and rebellious, framing her face.

King and Luz say goodbye to Eda in unison and they leave the house. The warm ways of the sun, the air almost as warm as in summer, welcome them and Luz has to protect her eyes with the back of her hand. It’s a lovely day, and the summer songs of the mountain birds sound loud and clear.

They go down a very narrow asphalt slope and a few stone steps. The shadow of the mountain stops sheltering them and immediately the rays of the sun cover them. 

Further down, in the center of the village, there’s a lake – Lake Bonesborough. The light reflected on the quiet surface shines endlessly, a mirror reflecting the blue of the sky during the day and the brightness of the stars at night. A blue sky with white clouds surrounds the mountains tinged with an intense green.

Next to her, King walks jumping for no particular reason; and then there's Luz, a high school girl with her enthusiasm for the new day bubbling up inside her chest. Her hazel eyes as the morning and orange ribbon as the sunset. Luz always liked the combination. She takes out her cell phone and plays a majestic stringed instrument track.

Basically, they live in the middle of nowhere, in the typical rural village surrounded by mountains and nature, in the middle of an island also in the middle of nowhere. Here in Bonesborough nothing ever happens, every day is quiet and everyone knows each other. Nothing to do with other cities of the Demon Realm, like Hexside City and its greatness. Walking on the paved roads where cars rarely pass, and looking at the glowing calm of Lake Bonesborough and the town around it, Luz thinks one day she will live in another city.

Luz hears someone shouting behind her.

“Luz!”

They are Gus, who pedals on his bike with enthusiasm but fairy tired, and Willow, happily sitting on the rear luggage rack of the bicycle, greeting Luz with one of her kind smiles. Luz stares and she sees Willow's holding on to the bike not falling because she's half-hugging Gus by the waist. Smart move, Luz would’ve fallen at least a hundred times before they reached the school.

“Hello Willow, Gus!”

“Good morning, Luz!”

Willow says, widening her smile, leaning forward from the inertia of Gus stopping the bike.

“Don't lie down on me, Willow,” Gus says, trying to even his breathing from the exercise.

“Sorry, sorry,” not losing her smile, Willow stretches her arms above her head.

“Get down already, will you?” The boy grumbles.

Willow nods and gets down the bike, letting Luz wrap her arms around her in a big morning hug.

So this early in the morning, Luz is ready to spend all the day with her best friends. As they walk to school and Gus is talking about some fact he learnt from the Human Realm, Luz takes a moment to observe them. Gus, Willow and Luz have been friends since Luz enrolled at school -previously Eda had tried home-schooling her, but she ended up deciding that Luz was too much of a handful for her, and Luz wanted to go to a real school-, but it's obvious that there's a stronger friendship between them, something special. And Luz was really happy and grateful that they had let her be friends with them back when she first met them. Even the way they jokingly argue is special.

Gus, with his brown skin, deep black eyes and dark brown hair is no doubt a very cute friend, even more so since he’s noticeably shorter than Luz and Willow. Though his enthusiastic and excitable personality causes him quite many problems, especially with the Human Appreciation Society club he’s created. Sometimes he hasn't come out of one and is already involved in another. But luckily Willow is always there to help him – him, Luz, and whoever needs her, really – and brings out the best in everyone.

Willow is chubby, pretty, with sharp green eyes behind her glasses and a short dark blue hair. Her big heart and her friendly and bubbly personality make her even more cute. Luz doesn’t think like this just because she’s her friend. Maybe just a little. But they're both great people, and Luz feels lucky to be their friend.

There they are, joking about some nonsense. It's clearly their way of teasing each other.

“Come on guys, let’s race to the school! If Gus wins, I’ll tell you some _ super duper secret  _ thing about humans.” Luz says, smiling. “Though I doubt you can ever beat me.”

Luz can't help the comment and laughter that goes with it. She starts to run forward and she expects Gus to follow her, but from the corner of her eye, she sees Gus waiting for Willow to get on his bike again.

“Come on, Gus!” Willow says, commanding him to follow Luz.

“Wait!” Gus, now pedalling faster, stares at Luz with wide eyes. “If I win, you’ll come with me to the Human Appreciation Society this evening! I’ll show them who’s the best president!”

Willow and Luz chuckle together as Gus keeps on pedalling.

Luz’s phone changes the song and now the soundtrack becomes a rhythmic guitar solo. They've been best friends for eight years now and they've always been very close. Their conversations are so fluid that Luz can't help but wonder if they truly are made for being her perfect friends.

“Luz, you’re wearing your hair as usual today, huh?”

Willow tells her. They’ve stopped the race and now she's already walking next to Luz, with a strange smile that she doesn’t quite understand. Luz wonders what she means by that. She’s wearing her hair as usual – it’s not as if she could do much with her short hair, so she brushes it before school when she actually remembers to.

“Huh?” Luz tilts her head to look at her. Willow doesn't add anything else. “The hair? What do you mean?”

She remembers the strange conversation she had during breakfast.  _ You're normal today _ , King had said. So this means that yesterday Luz was really acting weird? She tries to remember what she did the day before, but Gus cuts her thoughts short.

“Did Eda purify you or something?” He asks, concerned.

“What?  _ Purify  _ me?” Luz answers with a half-playful smile, hoping he'll laugh and tell her it's a joke, but the expression on her friend's face doesn't change.

“You were completely possessed yesterday!” He exclaims, releasing the bike for a moment but picking it up again before it fell off.

“What are you saying, Gus!?” Luz can't help but growl at him. Everybody is acting strange with her today. It's starting to bother Luz that she doesn’t understand what everyone's talking about.

Kindhearted as ever, Willow notices that Luz’s getting nervous and intercedes for her.

“Don't say that, Gus,” she shakes her head, then gives Luz a warm, understanding smile. “Luz is just under a little bit of stress, isn't she?”

_ Stress? _ She slows down, trying to understand what's going on. This morning's strange conversation repeats in her head, and it fits with what her friends are saying. But nothing they say makes sense to Luz. Stressed by what? Is she acting weird? She’s kinda worried, but Luz also considers the possibility that this is all a very elaborated joke. Could her friends really be that mean to her?

“Hold on... Wait a second. What are you guys even talking about?”

As she asks, her mind tries to place things in order. Everyone has been telling Luz that yesterday she was acting weird.  _ Yesterday _ … She tries to remember what she did yesterday, but right now it doesn't come to mind. But it must’ve been a day like any other.

_ …Huh? _

_ Was it a normal day, though? _

Yesterday, Luz…

“...And above all…!”

A deep voice amplified by a megaphone cuts Luz’s thoughts.

In front of a row of greenhouses, in an excessively large open parking lot, a dozen people are crowded together. In the center, standing and holding a microphone, there's a tall and slender woman with a determined expression. Her long indigo hair falls down on her shoulders, eyes sparkling turquoise, analyzing the people in front of her.

Lilith Clawthorne.

In the band that hangs diagonally over the suit jacket that she’s wearing, Luz reads "Mayoress in functions – Lilith Clawthorne". It has to be one of her campaign speeches in the run-up to the local elections. Something twists in Luz’s chest and she almost shrinks. Her voice reaches Luz’s ears sharply, pounding and echoing, reaching deep inside even though she’s trying her best to ignore it. Luz clenches her fists.

“... And above all, it is absolutely necessary to continue cleaning up the public coffers in order to give continuity to our main project: to revitalize our municipality! When we do, we will finally create a safe and peaceful community for everyone. Therefore, as mayor in functions, my desire is to bring to good port all these proposals with which, thanks to your trust, I have had the honor of getting involved up to now. I want to continue polishing our home! And with renewed energy, I wish with all my might to continue to lead this village in order to create a community where everyone, from the youngest to the oldest, can live in harmony! This is my mission, my renewed promise...!”

She speaks so enthusiastically and professionally that she reminds Luz of the politicians she sees on TV, and she can't help but notice the contrast Lilith makes by giving such a speech in the middle of a parking lot surrounded by rice fields. Whoever hears the speech will nod to the big words of encouragement and promises she’s chanting with no hesitation. 

Only Luz looks away, seeing the message hidden behind that fake façade, those confident statements and those piercing eyes. Only Luz knows her true face. What she’s done. 

She tries to get past them, to walk fast,  _ faster _ .

Passing by, but watching the scene with the corner of her eye, Luz can't help but hear the whispers of the people around. And these, like Lilith's consistent voice, reach her eardrums like darts hitting the target.

“Lilith Clawthorne will win again.”

“Everybody says so, yes.”

“I've heard that she goes around threatening the other candidates.”

“She will be re-elected again.”

The whispers only make Luz feel worse. She looks away and keeps on walking; digging her nails into the palms of her hands, silently wishing Gus and Willow would walk faster. Wishing she could vanish like smoke from that scene, from Lilith's field of vision, and from all these people's.

“Hey, human.”

_ Really? _ Luz can't believe this.

A group of three classmates she can’t stand at all comes up to her. In high school they're the cool guys, and they take every opportunity they have to remind the rest of the class who's in charge. They’re Mattholomule and his bunch of idiots. It's not the first time they've spoken to Gus, Willow and her to make them feel awful, and it won't be the last. Luz bites the inside of her cheek until it tastes like blood. If she wanted to have a fight with them it would be very easy, but Eda tried to reach her that there’s always a smarter way to solve conflicts.

Even so, Luz can't stand being called by her  _ human  _ traits. She’s so much more than that. It's not even derogatory. She’s just Luz.

“Luz,” she answers, defiant. “My name is Luz Noceda.”

Mattholomule, who seems to be leading the bullies, isn't impressed. He smiles amusingly at her, about to drop the bomb. Luz holds his gaze.

“The mayor and his builder,” he says, turning to look at Lilith, who keeps on giving her speech. Luz looks too, and she sees that next to her is Gus' father, smiling from ear to ear. He's wearing the working jacket of his construction company and on his arm he has tied a band with the line "We support Lilith Clawthorne". Then Mattholomule looks at Gus and Luz and goes on. “And their children are just as close together. What a coincidence.”

Luz’s guts revolve and she feels the anger growing inside of her, feeding on his words like a flame that rises.

_ I’m not her child! _ , she wants to yell, because they don’t know half of the story; but that wouldn’t stop the bullies from picking on her, they’d find her anger amusing.

So she decides not to bite back.  _ It's not worth it _ , Luz tells herself. None of them are worth it. Not even Lilith. Especially not Lilith.

Luz keeps walking, ignoring Mattholomule and the others, who look bored and almost disappointed that she didn't play along. Gus follows her, and his usual enthusiastic, gentle expression has been replaced by a grim look. Willow follows them both, concerned. She touches Gus' shoulder but says nothing.

“Luz!”

Someone shouts loudly. Luz shudders and she feels all the air in her lungs vanishing. For a moment, she can’t breathe, she stops walking. She can't believe this.

Lilith, who until just a few moments ago had kept going on with her speech and her words of delusive hope, has turned away from the microphone and raised her voice towards her. The whispers have also vanished. Almost as if all the voices were gone and only the sound of Luz’s shaken breath remained in the void. Everyone who was listening to Lilith now turns around and watches her. Not turning, Luz feels a dozen pairs of eyes fixed on her, but she feels some eyes specially clawed in her neck, flaming, a blazing and unforgiving blue fire.

“Luz, walk with your head held high.”

Hearing her name coming from Lilith’s lips gives Luz an unpleasant chill running down her back. Not looking at her, Luz keeps on walking, defiant. Partly because she wants Lilith to see that she has no control over her. And also partly, though Luz’s not going to admit this to anyone, cause she can't face her gaze just yet. Not after all that she’s done to them. 

Luz clenches the palms of her hands again, a sting of pain spreading up her arm, but she doesn’t care. Her face is burning. It's all so absurd that she even feels like crying out of frustration. She tries to control her breathing and avoid running. Taking big steps, Gus, Willow and Luz move quickly away from there.

Still, she hears the whispers again, digging into her ears.

“She’s so strict with that poor kid.”

“I heard they used to be family.”

“I didn't expect less from the mayoress.”

Mixed with the whispers of Luz’s classmates.

“What a spectacle.”

“I almost feel sorry for her.”

_ This is awful. _

Luz holds the strap of her backpack tightly and moves away as fast as she can. Gus follows her closely, saying nothing because he also understands Luz's feelings. She can see his white knuckles clutching tightly at the handlebars of his bike. Willow walks up to them and stands in between, saying comforting words that don't really get to Luz.

The soundtrack inside her mind has been turned off. Luz thinks, once again, that life in this town without a good background soundtrack is extremely suffocating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed, from here on the plot thickens :)  
> Next chapter on Wednesday!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day in Luz's life. She's starting to fit the missing pieces together, and why does all of it sound like she wasn't herself at all?

The chalk on the blackboard makes a sharp sound when the teacher writes a poem on it.

_“Who is she?_

_Don't ask me._

_I wait for my beloved._

_While the dew bathes me._

_In the morning.”_

“This verse is translated from its original language, a witches’ dialect much older than ours and that nowadays is almost entirely lost. The expression ‘the morning dew’ was written with a word in ancient witch runes that today resembles the etymology of the word ‘crepuscule’. You know to what moment the word ‘crepuscule’ refers, don't you?” Professor Bump asks as he writes ‘crepuscule’ on the blackboard with firm, whitish lines of chalk. “In other words, it is ‘dusk’. A period of time that is neither evening nor night. It means ‘declining phase that precedes the end of something’. That is to say, when the end of the day seems to have come, the dusk still has time to offer.”

He turns towards the class, leaning slightly over the desk, as if what he was about to say was a secret between the students and him. Luz raises her head, curious.

“ _Dusk_. When the world vanishes. Human silhouettes start to fade and it's hard to tell where one ends and the next begins,” the professor says. “In the savage ages, witches used to believe that dusk it's the moment when the bond grows stronger with beings who weren’t originally from this world, such as demons, ghosts of people and even spirits. Or so they said.”

He turns to the blackboard again, writing more things again and returning to the monotone in his voice. Luz picks up a pencil and starts doodling Azura in her notebook as she listens to him.

“The old expression ‘the hour of the demons’ is another old witchling’s way of calling it,” Bump continues. “Another is ‘twilight’, the etymology of this rune is even older.”

The professor now writes ‘twilight’ with impeccable handwriting. Luz’s lost all interest, but Bump’s words still echo in her distracted mind. _‘The dusk still has time to offer’_.

“I have a question, teacher!” A boy raises his hand “Isn’t this also called ‘sunset’?”

Luz lightly nods at this. She obviously knows the meaning of ‘crepuscule’ as well, but since she was a little girl the word she’s used to talk about dusk at home is ‘sunset’, of course. Memories come to Luz’s mind of her sometimes calling for King and Eda at nightfall because the sun was about to set, the three of them sitting on the porch watching the last lights of the day fade away into the sunset.

Professor Bump smiles. Luz really doesn’t understand what an old classical witch literature teacher like him is still teaching in a small town high school like this one. He should be retired.

The professor is tall but slightly hunched over, always wearing a red-demon hat that makes him look like a demon’s consuming his head, framing his face. He’s usually serious and strict, and if the students make too much fuss he scolds them and sends them to detention, but sometimes he smiles and gives away how much she secretly cares for his students.

“Yes, it is,” Bump continues. “I see you quite understand the variants of ‘crepuscule’, even though it’s in disuse now. You probably learned many antique witch runes from your grandparents; I've heard it said that among the older people of Bonesborough there are still traces of the speech that appears in the old poems of the savage ages.”

 _It's just that we live at the back of beyond_ , one girl says giggling a little, and Luz internally agrees with her. She rests her head on her hand, bored. Bonesborough is very nice, quiet and surrounded by nature, but she’d like to live somewhere else, somewhere more exciting, if only for a day. Luz passes the pages of her notebook while she thinks about it, and she finds some very large letters written on a page that should be blank.

**"Who are you?"**

_...Huh?_

_What is this?_

All the sounds around her fade away, as if the unknown letters had sucked them in. Luz stares at the paper, absorbed. Thick strokes, big and abrupt, like nervous, fill the whole page. This isn't Luz’s handwriting. She hasn’t let anyone borrow her notebook either, as far as she can remember. Luz frowns. _What? What does "who are you" mean?_

“Noceda!”

“Uh, yes!”

Luz stands up quickly, startled, while Professor Bump asks her to read page ninety-eight. She nods, somewhat embarrassed that she was distracted, but Bump eyes her and adds.

“So you remember your name today, Luz Noceda.”

The class bursts out in complicit laughter as they look at Luz, some directly and others sideways. It's like everyone knows what's going on except her. Standing in the middle of the class, holding the book in her hands, Luz’s once again wrapped in the feeling that something strange, very strange, is happening. And she needs to find out what as soon as possible.

* * *

“So, you don't remember?”

Willow, sitting in front of Luz, looks at her with the most puzzled expression Luz’s ever seen. She understands from her soft tone of voice that she wants to help her, but not knowing what's going on, what happened yesterday, and not being told yet, makes Luz nervous.

“No,” Luz says, as if she hadn't made it clear enough already that she has no idea what everyone is talking about today. “I don't remember, Willow.”

“Really?” She insists, still glancing at Luz with her big green eyes. _Is it so hard to believe that I don't remember what happened yesterday?_

“I'm serious!” Luz answers, emphasizing her words while she gives a sip to her orange juice. She looks at Gus, who's sitting on a desk between the two girls, observing Luz with the same skepticism. “Can anyone tell me what's going on?”

“It's just...” Willow finally speaks. Luz leans towards her. “Yesterday you didn't remember which one was your desk or where your locker was.”

“What?” Luz laughs. “We've been in this school for years now! How could I forget?”

“You didn't have your usual messy hairstyle either,” Gus adds, biting his sandwich. “Your hair was all brushed and pushed back. Was that hair gel?”

“Me? Using hair gel at eight am on a regular school day?” Luz gestures with the orange juice in her hand. “Are you sure you're talking about me?”

“You weren't wearing the uniform's bow,” Willow adds as if she just remembered.

“And you were in a really bad mood all day,” Gus grimaces and folds his arms across his chest. “You were mean and uptight.”

Luz tries to picture it in her mind. For King and for Eda, she tries every day to be as optimistic and positive as she can. She’s also like that with her friends, Gus and Willow know that Luz’s a ray of sunshine with everyone. And they also know how bubbly and cheerful she usually is, even at eight in the morning. She doesn’t remember what could’ve possibly put her in a bad mood yesterday. It's as if the person they're describing isn't Luz at all, as if they're talking about someone else.

“It can't be,” Luz shakes her head, confused, looking at both of them. “Are you really _really_ sure?”

“Yes...” Willow nods slowly, as if saying that she wouldn't believe it if she was Luz either. “It felt like you had amnesia or something yesterday.”

Dazed, Luz tries to remember. For a moment, she tries to look for something in her memories that fits what they're saying. _But something's wrong._ She doesn’t remember anything from yesterday. She runs into the most absolute nothing in her mind. As if the memories were locked from herself, out of her reach, where Luz doesn’t even know where to look. 

_Wait_ . No, that's not true. There _is_ something. Luz remembers little fragments from the day before.

The landscape of a place comes to mind. A city... _That she doesn’t know?_

And in the mirror... _The reflection of a girl?_

Luz’s trying to remember with all her might, find something else to hold on to. Something that makes sense of everything that's been going on today. But she doesn’t find anything, no solid memory that can give her a clue. She just... She finds a strange feeling, as if it were all part of a bizarre and complicated dream.

“This doesn’t make sense…”

Luz mutters, but Willow and Gus look at her, expectant.

“Hum... It's like... I feel like I've had a really strange dream...” Luz starts, but the confusion in their eyes tells her that they aren't understanding a thing. She tries to elaborate a little more. “Like... Like in the dream I was living someone else's life... Or something like that. It's _weird_. I can't remember it well...”

“Oh, I know!” Gus interrupts her all of a sudden, giving Luz a good scare. “These are the memories of your previous life!”

Willow and Luz look at each other, not understanding what he meant. Willow doesn't try to hide how little she believes him, but she still looks at Gus, encouraging him to continue.

“Don't look at me like that! I know what you're both thinking – that has no scientific basis, blah, blah. But let me explain it in another way!” He defends himself. Willow nods, pretending interest, and Luz shrugs her shoulders. “Surely what has happened is that your subconscious has connected with the multiverse, just as John De Plume, the most famous writer on the Boiling Isles, famed author of the Realm Warriors series, describes in his interpretation of multiple worlds…!”

“Didn’t that guy write fiction books…?” Luz points out.

“What are you trying to say, Gus?” Willow intervenes kindly before he gets too excited talking about things that only he understands.

“I say Luz has connected with a parallel universe!” He exclaims enthusiastically. “Or maybe with another reality. I don't know, the possibilities are endless!”

“Are you serious about this?” Willow tilts her head, not losing her kind smile but clearly, she doesn't take to heart what the boy is saying.

“Of course!” He insists, frowning. “How else are you going to explain how Luz acted yesterday? And what about the strange dreams she just mentioned? Huh?”

“But... Parallel universes sound a little...?”

Watching the two of them argue, Luz contains a laugh, even though the unrelated images she remembers from yesterday still float in her mind.

That stunning and radiant landscape that she doesn’t recall ever seeing. And the blurred reflection of someone in the mirror. A girl. _But… who?_ Luz tries to focus, going over all the strange things that have happened to her today. Then she exclaims something, interrupting the discussion of these two.

“You didn't write in my notebook, did you, Gus?”

“What?”

The boy tilts his head, with no idea what Luz’s talking about. She leans back again on the back of the chair, almost tired. _Then it wasn't him..._ After all, Gus isn't one of those who go around making mean pranks. And he wouldn't take Luz’s notebook without asking first. Willow wouldn't either. And Luz doubts it was anyone else in the class, they would've written something different. The black and inquisitive letters are drawn in Luz’s mind.

**"Who are you?"**

“No, nothing. I'm sorry,” Luz takes it back, looking up to the swallows dancing around the schoolyard. With this good weather, they must be very well up there. It must be cool, being able to fly and go wherever you want. You wouldn't have to be stuck in a small town in the middle of nowhere.

“Huh? What are you talking about, though?” Gus insists. “What notebook?”

“It's nothing, forget it,” Luz says, rolling her eyes.

“Seriously now, Luz. Yesterday you were quite strange...” Willow confesses, approaching her with the chair and placing a comforting hand on her arm, a sincere look on her green eyes. “Are you sure you're alright?”

“Yes, I'm fine,” Luz answers, placing her hand on her friend’s and squeezing affectionately. “I guess it's what you said before, maybe I _am_ stressed...”

“I'm sure it's just that,” Willow nods, happier now that she more or less has a logical answer. Though Luz doesn’t really think she’s stressed, but she doesn’t want to worry them with her weird ideas and silly dreams anyway. “You've been very busy lately, haven't you?”

“Ugh, that’s right. The ritual…!” Luz says in a gloomy tone. She places her legs on the chair and hides her face between her knees. “Please, don't remind me.”

Willow is right, a lot has happened in Luz’s life lately. If she didn't have enough with the municipal elections and having to listen to Lilith almost daily on the radio, and even see her on the street, tonight it's her turn to do the ritual. How can it be that in such a small town, Lilith is the mayoress, and her sister Eda is the leader of the First Witches' Coven? Luz makes a sound in her throat, a mix between a sigh and a sob, and she feels Willow's hand stroking her back trying to cheer her up.

“Aaah!” Luz suddenly jumps up, startling Willow. She raises her fists towards the sky, where the swallows keep spinning. “I want to graduate and move to Hexside City so bad! This place is so small and look at all the trouble it gives me!”

Willow nods vehemently, agreeing with Luz. ‘I understand you, you don't know how much I understand you’, she seems to say.

“Counting my dads, my sister and me, there are now four of us in my family in charge of radio broadcasts,” Willow gives Gus and Luz a tired half smile. “Grandmothers in the neighborhood have been calling me ‘the little girl on the radio’ since I was a child. And, not knowing how, I also ended up in the broadcasting club in high school!”

“Willow, as soon as we graduate, we're going to Hexside City!” Luz exclaims, letting the hope fill her words. Willow rises from her chair and stands besides her, nodding with Luz’s energy reflected in her irises. They both look at the boy. “Gus, you're coming too.”

“Huh?” He says, absent-mindedly tilting his head.

“You're coming with us,” Luz insists. “In Hexside City you'll be whatever you want!”

“Ah... I don't know,” he says, scratching his neck and looking behind him. Luz follows his gaze and finds the outline of the houses of the village, beyond the high school and Lake Bonesborough.

Willow and Luz deflate like beach balls. He seems to notice, and adds something.

“My whole family lives here, my siblings and my parents,” He shrugs his shoulders, staying is the most obvious choice for him. “I guess I'll end up working with my father too and living here.”

“But Gus,” Willow places a hand on his knee, looking at him with eyes still hopeful, wanting to keep alive the possibility of leaving Bonesborough and living together in a city like Hexside. “The world has many more possibilities to offer. Moving out is a real option.”

“Yes,” he nods, looking back at the village with affection. “But we still have time to decide that.”

Luz nods. The wind rises around her and she follows its course with her eyes, towards Lake Bonesborough, below, calm and foreign to their problems.

_We still have time._

* * *

Excited by the idea of going to live in Hexside City – or anywhere outside this place, really –, on the way home from high school Willow and Luz have started to make a list of the bad or boring things that Bonesborough has. Partly because they want to convince Gus to come with them; and partly because this town simply has so many boring things.

In Bonesborough they don't have a bookstore or a dentist. As a child, Luz had to read and reread the same stories to King again and again, to the point that they both know most of them by heart now. The train passes once every two hours, there are four buses a day, their area doesn't appear in the weather forecasts, and the Google Maps satellite images are still a blurred mosaic. It's almost as if Bonesborough and the rest of the world had agreed to make this island have as little contact with the outside world as possible. The 24h supermarket closes at nine o'clock at night, but they do have many vegetable seeds and agricultural tools of the best quality. _We are a village of farmers_ , Luz thinks with disdain.

They don't have McDonald's or Mos Burger, but there are two adult bars they won't let them into. There's no work, there aren't any candidates for future wives for the farmers, and on top of that they have very few hours of sun, which makes Luz sad because she loves the daylight.

And so they go on, linking one complaint with another without stopping. Actually, Luz doesn’t hate Bonesborough as much as it seems. Usually the fact that the town is in the middle of nowhere, with its pure and refreshing air, its endless green fields, its formidable protective mountains and the immense Lake Bonesborough, makes Luz feel happy inside, and sometimes even proud to live in it. But today, it makes Willow and her feel like they live in the very last corner of the world.

Gus, pedaling behind them, stops the bike with a sharp noise.

“That's enough, isn't it?”

He growls. Looks like they've drained his patience with so much complaint about the village. Gus is less of a dreamer than Willow and Luz are. He's more realistic and has always had a special affection for Bonesborough. His goals and ambitions are things like finishing high school and working in his father's company. Accessible and simple things, not crazy dreams. Here's everything he could ask for. 

While for Luz... when she thinks about staying here all her life, something tightens in her chest. She needs to go out, explore, live adventures and have a life worth remembering. She knows that Willow, though she's somewhere in between Gus and her, also feels this need to experience new things. Luz knows she'll do great things when they leave Bonesborough. And she knows that Gus could, as well. But she has to respect the decision he makes in the future, if he decides to stay.

“I'm sorry, Gus,” Luz apologizes, and she sees that Willow thought of doing the same.

“We know how much you like Bonesborough,” Willow says with an apologetic tone.

“But let us dream a little!”

Luz folds her arms, making a half-joking face. Seeing their expressions, the boy smiles strangely.

“Come on, let's change the subject,” he says. “Don't you want to go to a cafe?”

“Huh?” Luz says.

“Go to a...” Willow adds. “To a...”

Willow opens her eyes wide, waiting for Gus to repeat what he said in case she hasn't heard right. Luz walks up to him, eyes opened as wide as Willow’s, and Gus takes a step back with the bike, almost intimidated. 

_Is he for real?_ They've wanted to go to a cafe for _years_ but there isn't one in town and they often complain about it. Luz thinks about eating refined cakes, smoothies, pancakes and teas and it makes her mouth water. She sees the same craving in Willow's expression. They get even closer to Gus.

“A cafe?!” They shout at the same time.

* * *

_Clin, clin_. The metallic sound melts with the song of the cicadas.

“Here you go.”

Gus tells them with a funny smile while he offers the girls two cans that he has just taken from a vending machine. A scooter passes making its characteristic buzz along the road and drowns out all the other sounds for a moment. An older man who’s probably coming home from the countryside drives it. _We're a village of farmers_ , Luz says to herself again with disappointment as she picks up the can her friend is offering to her. A big stray dog that's usually in this area lies next to them, yawning. Even he understands Bonesborough's existential boredom.

What Luz had in mind when Gus told them about the cafe wasn't exactly this. She pictured a Starbucks, or a Tully's, or one of those dreamy places that exist in other parts of the world where you can eat pieces of cake, doughnuts, Italian ice cream... But no, the three of them are sitting on the lame bench of a bus stop that's probably older than Gus, Willow and Luz put together. Next to the bus stop there's a poster of an ice cream ad that at least must've been hanging there for thirty years. And next to them is a dull vending machine from which Gus has just taken the cans. The three of them sit in a row, with the stray dog at their feet, drinking their canned drinks without saying much.

More than feeling betrayed by Gus, what Luz feels is resignation. _What else did you expect, Luz?_ It's not like she doesn’t know all of the things they can't do in this town. Deep down she knew there was no cafe, but part of her wanted to believe for a moment that they aren't practically cut off from the modern world. She rests her back on the bench and closes her eyes. She tries to picture what it would be like to live in one of those huge, modern cities like Hexside, with those luxurious coffee shops full of lights and desserts like in the movies. The cicadas singing their monotonous background chant blur her daydream.

“Well, I'm going home now,” Luz tells them when she’s done with the can. She’s had enough of empty talks and discussions about whether it's a degree more or less warm today than it was yesterday. And she has a ritual to do, she reluctantly thinks.

“I hope tonight goes well for you!” Willow cheers her up with a big smile.

“We'll go to see you later,” Gus adds, making a farewell gesture.

“You don’t need to come!” Luz implores. They've seen her do the ritual before, but she’s still embarrassed anyway, and she’d prefer if as few people as possible saw her. “You know what? Maybe don’t come. Like, at all. For real.”

Luz turns around and starts walking home. She knows they're not going to listen to her and they're going to come anyway because they're such good friends, but that doesn't make Luz feel any better. On the bright side, she’ll have someone to look at in the crowd that actually doesn’t make her nervous. It's as good a distraction as any. She’s gonna go through the ritual and the embarrassment anyway, at least she’ll have them rooting for her.

After a while, when she has already climbed several stone steps and walked ahead, she finds a couple of young teenagers together on a bench, sitting with the lake colored by the sunset rays resting on their backs, and decides to add a lyrical piano melody in the background. Luz smiles. She’s read every fanfiction there is about her favourite Azura books, but she still knows nothing about love.

The wind rises and embraces her from behind. She sees how it gently rocks the fields and even the treetops of the mountains that surround the village, raising a dance of leaves. Some reach the calm surface of the lake, landing on it and intruding in its calm starting small waves on it. 

Luz stops and thinks that her life, in a way, is like Lake Bonesborough – quiet, without surprises, peaceful. She wonders if, someday, someone will break into her calm and make waves with their presence like the leaves in the lake. She looks again at the young couple, and feels a rush of yearning.

_Yes, someday. Someone special._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Next chapter this Saturday will have lots of Eda & King, backstory & Luz discovering things about this mysterious girl she keeps dreaming about.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day in Luz's life, a bit of witches' lore & Luz's hopes & dreams.

_Tap. Tap, tap._

The wood bumping against the strings, putting them in place, makes a sharp noise. The reels of threads, each of a different color, go up and down with the gentle rattling of the old machine.

_Tap. Tap, tap._

The threads are arranged in perfect harmony, following a specific but special pattern each time. Like different paths that reach the same place, the strands slide over the wood to end up intertwining with the others. Paths that come together, flows that converge, streams that merge. The threads are braided, making a singular patchwork.

“The King of demons wants to do that too!”

King says, not satisfied at all and breaking the silence. He's sitting next to Luz, with his own reel of red thread in his paws. His strands are a mess and tangled between his fingers. Yet he looks at Eda and at Luz with a bored expression.

“You're such a goofball, Mr. Wiggles,” Eda replies. “You’ll mess it up. Be a good boy and sit quietly while Luz and I work.”

The tapping of the iron weights sounds non-stop in the workroom, where the three of them are doing their task in silence. Eda stops to talk to King, but Luz keeps going. Green, green, purple. Squeeze. Purple, green, purple. Squeeze.

“You have to listen to the voice of the strings,” Eda continues. “If you braid for a long time, sooner or later your emotions will start to flow between you and the cords. Or that’s what the old witches used to say, if you’re into that sort of thinking.”

King is utterly confused. Truth is, Luz’s been doing braids longer than King and she still doesn’t understand that thing about emotions and cords either. But Eda is so invested in braiding that Luz just goes along with her without asking much. She knows that these braidings are part of being in the First Witches’ Coven, it’s one of the only traditions that Eda actually follows. Luz wonders why it is so important for her.

“What?” King complains again. “Strings can't speak!”

“She wants you to focus,” Luz helps him as she goes on with her own threads. King huffs, still not satisfied, and tries to untangle his fingers again.

“When we do the braiding...” Making deaf ears to King's complaints, Eda starts her monologue.

With the antique clothes of the First Witches’ Coven on, the three of them are making the braids that they’ll use in the ritual of the First Witches that's held once a year and that takes place tonight. 

When Emperor Belos ascended as ruler of the Demon Realm, he agreed to let the ways of the savage ages and the first witches live through as long as it was recluded to one sole coven, the First Witches’ Coven, where Eda’s the leader now. It’s basically a deal the ancient witches of the past had to make with him so he would leave them to do their magic freely without inciting the rest of the Covens to revolt against him. Generations and generations passed down and now Eda is the leader, but Luz was too young to remember how that came to be.

The traditional braiding technique they’re doing now has been passed down through generations in Bonesborough though, maybe even before the First Witches’ Coven first existed; and it consists of intertwining fine threads one by one to form a string. The final result is an interweaving of exquisite color and beauty. 

To do this you need to master the technique, so Eda takes care of King's part while she braids the threads around the iron weights. Threads that, by the way, are still entangled around his tiny fingers. Luz considers stopping and helping him, but if Eda finds out she'll scold both of them, so she leaves King to fix it on his own.

“As I was saying, when we do the braids, we have to remember that Bonesborough's history is engraved on our strings,” Eda goes on. “To begin with, this kind of thing should have been taught to you at that school you insisted on going, instead of all these old runes and stupid magic. Listen up. The story goes back two hundred years...”

_There she goes_ , Luz can't help but think with half a smile. Eda, an expert in wild magic like no one else, once again starts the history lesson Luz’s heard so many times since she was a child. With the same solemn voice as every year, Eda tells the story of what once happened in the small town of Bonesborough.

“The town of Bonesborough at the time was protected by a good and wise Titan,” she says. “Everyone cherished and respected him, and the people who lived here were very happy, unlike now. One day, a traveler came to the village as a newcomer and, for reasons nobody knows, got into an enormous fight with the Titan. No one remembers how it happened, but that conflict caused a fire that spread throughout almost the entire island. The whole area was reduced to ashes. Not even the most powerful witches at the time could stop it spreading. What later on would be the First Witches' Coven, where we are now, also burned. And with it, all the writings where the meaning of the traditions were written. After that night, no one saw the Titan ever again.”

“Nye, such a fuss, such destruction! I _have_ to know who that traveler was!” King asks with glowing eyes.

“Emperor Belos,” Luz says with a solemn voice. Eda looks at her sideways. “That's why that incident is called ‘The First Conquer of Emperor Belos’.”

Though Luz’s heard the story hundreds of times, each time Eda tells it she gets a chill down her spine, an inexplicable pressure in her chest. Despite the fact that there aren't any photographs of the incident, since at that time there were no cameras, in Luz’s mind spread images of the town burning in flames, of Emperor Belos's icy gaze. Eda nods, satisfied with her answer.

“Such power… such command he holds over his minions… I must have the same!” King replies with an excited expression. Then, he mutters something like ‘poor Titan though, a traveler comes from nowhere and burns half his village...’.

“Eh. It’s no surprise the Emperor is the _worst_. As a result,” Eda continues. “The meaning of the braiding design and the Coven’s dance was lost with the fire. What remained were only the forms. Even if words are lost, tradition of the wild witches must be preserved. We can’t let it all fall into Belos’ stupid and restrictive system, it’s not how magic’s supposed to be. But hear me out, the meaning sculpted in our traditions will one day resurface.”

Outside, the crickets sing a soft melody they give to the night. Eda's narrative has a very particular rhythm, as if it was a song. Luz pictures the First Witches coming again to the world of mortals and thanking them for still doing the ritual in their honor every year. As she does the braiding, Luz repeats to herself Eda’s words. ‘ _The meaning sculpted in our traditions will one day resurface’._

_And that's the important task…_

“And that's the important task of the First Witches's Coven. To rebel against the Emperor and preserve the wild ways of magic. Still…” Eda's gentle gaze is darkened by sadness. “Still, that stupid Lilith… not only did she give up her place as sucesor of the First Witches and leave home, but she also got into politics and became a lapdog for that tirant!”

She says, sighing. The thought of Lilith this morning strikes Luz like a cold dagger. Her flashing eyes scanned the people around her until they reached Luz, trapping her with invisible claws, astounding her. She can still feel the frustration from that moment, knowing what Lilith did still makes her shiver with rage. But she’s going to get Eda and King away from her as soon as she can. Luz plans to leave with them far, far away from here, where Lilith’s bad decisions won't reach them. And to think that everything could've been different if she hadn’t…

Like sympathizing with Eda, Luz too sighs weakly. Her dream of living in Hexside City someday flickers, like a star afraid to fade away. She knows she wants to leave, that’s the only thing she’s sure of, but still… Leaving Bonesborough would also mean leaving King, Eda and her friends behind, if she can’t make them follow her. She tries every day to forget what happened with Lilith and move on, but if Luz also goes and abandons the people who love her like she did, then what good is she?

Watching the threads that fall, turn, intertwine and grip tightly, her head spins with them. Paths that unite, streams that converge. Luz feels like one of these strings – moved at will, intertwined with the others and unable to break freely. She’s trapped here, making a patchwork together with many other strings that share her destiny.

Luz doesn't know if she likes Bonesborough or not, the village that helped her grow and about which she complains every single day. She doesn’t know if she wants to go far away, to Hexside City to live new experiences, or to stay forever here in Bonesborough with her family and friends, where every day is exactly the same. Luz doesn’t know what she wants to do. She doesn’t know what she _should_ do.

Once finished, Luz takes her brightly colored braid out of the loom with a sad clatter.

* * *

As she hears the sound of the traditional flute in the sanctuary at night, she pictures what an urbanite would think if they saw this scene. Luz’s sure they'd think it's a setting taken from a horror movie, one of those where strange events happen around an unknown town, like a brutal murder or a strange family incident. And here she’s been for a while now, dancing in the dressing attire of the First Witches with her mood down and wishing that someone, the Titan or the very savage witches, would soon take her out of her misery.

The sharp, sluggish sound of the flute mixes in the night with the echo of a small drum that someone’s playing. Or rather, that someone played at some point, because the music that plays comes from loudspeakers that they have on the sides of the stage. Next to these, two large torches are oddly brightening the scene. The noise of the crackling fire joins the sounds that surround them. Luz’s body moves rhythmically, following these sounds with rehearsed precision. She’s doing her best to blank her mind and avoid letting one of the many intrusive thoughts that fly over her mind take over her concentration. Trying, unsuccessfully.

Each year, the main role of the First Witches Festival of the Coven unfortunately falls on Luz, and King insists on dancing too. With the old and showy witches’ dresses, lips colored with intense crimson and the twinkling decorations on their heads, they stand on the traditional dance's stage and, facing the audience, they perform the dance that Eda had taught them years ago. Though its meaning was lost in the First Conquer of Emperor Belos, the fire he started, the dance has to be performed by a person -human or witch- and a demon at the same time while they hold some kind of golden jingle bells with hanging colorful strings, making them ring with a rumble, and spinning by waving the strings in the air. Luz would really like to know the meaning behind all this, from the outside it's absurd. But she continues to dance.

As Luz dances, she hears the whispers of people watching the ritual.

“Is that Luz? She's so grown up!”

“That Owl Lady sure has been raising her well.”

“Didn't they used to live with the mayor? I heard about it somewhere...”

“Hush, lower your voice. You're right, before Lilith joined the Emperor’s Coven.”

“Yes, it's a shame what happened to them.”

“Well, yes. Especially to Eda.”

“Does she still have the-“

“Hush, we can’t talk about that!”

Luz continues the dance, impassive, containing a sigh. Each year she hears conversations like this, but she never gets used to them. She glances sidelong at King, but he seems to be focused on dancing and hasn't heard anything. He’s too cute, and he looks like he’s having fun. That relieves Luz. While she’s used to hearing gossips and whispers behind their backs, she doesn’t want any of that to reach King. He should have a happy life, out of the drama of the family and the comments that everyone makes now and then. After all, they do have something to talk about. Their family is complicated, even more so since Lilith left them to join Emperor Belos. Lilith and Eda used to do the dance every year when they were young, so around this time everyone has this family a little more present.

During the last turn, Luz thought she saw Willow and Gus from the corner of her eye, and that makes her feel even more depressed. _I told them not to come! I'll curse them with my superpowers as a witch of the Savage Ages, and curse them with tickles for the rest of their lives!_

Actually, it's not that Luz doesn’t want them to see the dance. _Yes_ , okay, she’s a little embarrassed, but she’s been doing this since she was a little girl so she’s used to it by now. It's not the dance that worries Luz, but the other thing she has to do in the ritual. What really makes her wonder what this means and who came up with it. The older Luz gets, the more embarrassed it makes her. It's something that comes after the dance, and that she has to absolutely do. She’s already begged Eda many times to skip that part of the ritual, but she always scolds Luz and tells her that it's part of the tradition, so it should be respected. That funny grin in her face doesn’t help every time. Luz has to do it out of obligation, and the idea fills her stomach with anxiety and unease.

_Ah...! Crap...! I don't want to...!_

But while she’s complaining, her body moves until Luz finally finishes the dance.

* * *

Luz chews. Chews and chews.

And again.

And again, and again, and again.

She chews rice grains over and over, trying with all her soul to blank her mind. Luz closes her eyes tightly to block the taste, smell and color of the rice... and chews. Next to her, King does the same. With a gentle expression and his eyes closed, Luz couldn't tell if he loathes this part of the ritual as much as she does. Probably not, he’s a little weirdo. She also tries her best to keep an indifferent face and a calm expression. And she chews.

In front of them, who’re sitting on the floor with their backs firmly straight on their heels, two old men who collaborate every year with the preparations of the ritual have placed two small red boxes in old wooden trays. And, of course, they have their audience in front of them – men and women, old and young, who watch their every movement since they started dancing before. Now, for some reason, they're more interested.

Luz chews, she chews, and chews again.

Once. And again. The rice rolls around in her mouth until the taste disappears and she feels like she’s chewing a big ball of nothing. That doesn't make it any less unpleasant. Luz closes her eyes to ignore the pairs of irises that are fixed on her. _Out of sight, out of mind, right?_ Luz thinks of Lilith in front of an audience like this, chewing rice, and for a brief moment Luz doesn’t blame her for leaving this stupid Coven. Luz vaguely remembers coming to see her and Eda as a child, but they're fuzzy memories. At least she doesn’t have to put up with Lilith going there and watching her chew rice too, that also motivates her. Rice that, by the way, can't stay in her mouth forever.

Finally, Luz gives up and reaches the little box in front of her. She places it in front of her mouth and, at the very least, she lets herself cover her mouth with the sleeve of her witch’s dress.

Luz frowns her lips and spits out the rice that she’s been chewing until now inside the little box. When mixed with saliva, it's turned into a whitish and slimy fluid. There's a little shock in the audience, even though some come to see the ritual every year. Luz remembers that Gus and Willow are watching the scene as well, and the embarrassment overwhelms her. _Aaaah..._ She cries on the inside. _Pretty please, don't look at me!_

This is called the ‘Elixir of the First Witches’.

It's the Demon Realm's oldest type of drink. The idea is that by chewing the rice, mixing it with the saliva and letting it rest until it ferments, it becomes alcohol. It's made as an offering to the First Witches. In the past, the elixir was done in several regions, but Luz doubts that with the arrival of the twenty-first century other places have continued with this ritual nowadays other than the First Witches’ Coven. It's just that, come on, making such a scene with the witches’ dresses is crazy. Luz really doubts that it'll continue to exist in places other than a town in the last corner of the world like Bonesborough. _Can somebody tell me who gets anything positive out of this?_ The worst thing is that people used to drink this elixir like a regular drink. The idea makes Luz feel sick.

But while her internal monologue continues, her hand grabs another handful of rice with a rehearsed motion and puts it in her mouth. And she chews again. Still with an unconcerned expression, King does the same. They have to continue this torture until the little box is filled with that sticky liquid. Luz spits out again – " _Bleh_..." – a new batch of pasty rice and saliva. She cries internally again.

Suddenly Luz hears some voices that she recognizes. A whirlwind of anxiety and nausea hovers over her. She starts to fear the worst. Slowly, she looks up.

What Luz sees makes her want to blow up the whole sanctuary and even start a fire like Emperor Belos did. As she feared, not far away are the three high school classmates that claim to be the 'cool' group of the class – Mattholomule and his bunch of idiots from this morning. 

They get closer until they're practically in the front row, as if watching Luz from a distance wasn't good enough. They probably want her to know they're here. _Jerks_. They look at her with mocking expressions without taking their eyes off her, and Luz knows that the next time they see each other they're not going to leave her alone as easily as this morning. A flame of anger ignites within her, but she remembers Eda's words – ‘You have to respond to violence with intelligence. Be smarter than those bullies, kid’. Luz has to be smarter than they are. After all, she’s going to live in Hexside City and they'll probably stay here as farmers until they die. Still, the unease she feels now doesn't go away.

Though at that distance it should be physically impossible for Luz to hear them, she gets the feeling that she hears loud and clear what they say – “Wow, I wouldn't ever do that in public!", "It's disgusting", "What a nerve to do that in front of so many people… she’s so gross", and things like that, Luz’s sure. _Idiots_ . She feels the huge need to get off the stage and tell Mattholomule and the others a few things, but she keeps her place. Instead, she carefully lowers the box that's already practically full. She can't face them right now, the best she can do is finish this endless ritual and go home. _How did you handle morons like these when you were younger, Eda?_

Luz places the little box on the tray and covers it with a white cloth they've placed for them. She wraps it several times with one of the braided cords they made before, knotting it until it is tightly closed.

She looks at the sky, fleeing for a second from the overwhelming reality of the sanctuary. Beyond where the torch lights illuminate, a peaceful night sky extends as far as Luz’s eyes can see. It's sprinkled with gleaming white dots that flicker. Some are so small that they go almost unnoticed. Some so big that their light attracts her gaze like an immense magnet. Big and small, the dots form brilliant constellations, like ancient works of art, always far from their reach. 

Luz remembers happy nights with Eda, when she would show her the names of those she knew, holding Luz in her lap on the porch of the sanctuary. She told her that if she were ever scared, she should look at the stars, the ones Luz liked best. "Everyone wants to believe they’re ‘chosen’, but the truth is, we’re as small and insignificant as those stars. That’s why you need to shine for yourself, build a life for you that will make you proud someday", she had said, caressing Luz’s head with an uncharacteristic warm gesture, but her words sounded hollow in the night. Luz remembers the sadness in her eyes, which she didn't understand at the time, carved against a night sky with Cassiopeia and Cepheus shining in the distance. Luz pictures herself stretching out her hand and going far, so far that she reaches for the stars that shine mockingly beyond the sanctuary.

Luz looks down at the little box that’s in front of her. She feels King's gaze beside her. ‘Are we done yet?’ he seems to ask, and Luz gets up as a response.

The thought reaches her mind with undeniable strength. When she graduates, she’ll leave this town behind and go far, far away.

As far as Hexside, the city of stars.

* * *

“Come on, cheer up, Luz!” King gives her a playful nudge. “Who cares if your high school classmates have seen you? There’s nothing they can do against me, the King of Demons! Just say the word and I’ll unleash my _wrath_ upon them, my enemies!“

“How nice and how easy it has to be living as carefree as you, King,” Luz tells him, half-joking and half-serious, sighing theatrically.

Now wearing their normal clothes – though for King normal is wearing nothing but a red collar with a tag, which is completely valid –, King and Luz have just come out of the sanctuary's front door. After the ritual, as a closure, they had to attend the banquet in honor of all the elders witches of the neighborhood who helped them with the preparations for the festival. Most of the people who live in Bonesborough are elderly, so events like this one are full of seniors. Even more so if it's a traditional event. _We're a village of old farmers_ , Luz laments internally.

Eda was the hostess while King and Luz served the drinks and started conversations with them as they could. The weather, the crops, the village. Truth is, Luz didn’t know what else she could talk to them about. The great majority of the people that were there were the aged people Luz only sees once a year, so it's been really boring. And if doing the ritual wasn't enough, Eda has made them stay at it too and now Luz’s twice as tired.

They’d been serving for a while. More than an hour after the ritual ended, they were still in there. Poor King had mentioned that he wanted to sleep about fifteen times. Luz too was exhausted when they were finally given the green light to leave, because of that ‘children have to go home early’ thing. For once in her life, Luz’s glad someone still considers her a child. But the adults, including Eda, continue the celebration in the sanctuary office. It's a good thing they’re already going home. Even if Luz complains that it's boring, she understands that it's important to thank those who helped them prepare for the witches’ festival.

“Hey, King,” Luz asks with a playful look. “Do you think you can tell me the average age of the people in that room?”

They continue walking the path that goes through the sanctuary grounds in complete darkness, surrounded by the refreshing song of insects and the quiet of nature. When Luz was little, she used to be afraid of this walk because there are no lanterns to light it, but now she likes it that way – without lights that distract, the Moon looks huge and gorgeous.

“Well, no idea,” at this point King isn't surprised by Luz’s strange questions. He stops to think about it for a moment. “About thirty thousand years old?”

“I've been calculating it in the kitchen. The average is seventy eight years old!” Luz exclaims, dramatically gesturing. “Seventy eight!”

“Is that old, though? I don’t know how many years a witch lives.” King thinks out loud. “Heck, I don’t even know _my_ age!”

“But that doesn’t matter, you’re a _baby_ no matter how old you are! But hear this: now that we're gone, the average age of the hall is ninety-one! They're about to turn one hundred years old, in the last stage of life, touching the doors of the magic afterlife!” Luz says in an even more theatrical tone. “I wouldn't be surprised if a courier from the Other World arrived to pick them up right now!”

“Oh my god, Luz! Do you think we could meet them!” King punches Luz weakly on the leg, excited. She laughs. “We should have a duel to the death and steal their power and grandioseness! I shall be King, _err…_ King of the Underworld! Yes!”

“No, no! We have to hurry and flee from this town as soon as possible, King!” Luz says. “Before it happens!”

“Before _what_ happens?” King tilts his head. “What is it, Luz!?”

“Before the courier from the Underworld comes for us too,” Luz looks at him with wide eyes. “For living in a village of old farmers!”

King giggles, and Luz laughs with him too. She looks at him sideways, and a warm feeling spreads through her body. Even though she’s lived with this tiny demon practically all of her life, most of the time she treats King like a child. Luz knows it's because for a long time Eda and her have been the only responsible figures King’s had in her life, and that has also led Luz to mature faster – so she could take care of them both when Eda inevitably can’t. But, in a way, Luz also treats him like a little baby because he’s just too adorable, the first friend she ever made ever since Eda brought her to the Demon Realm when she was a baby. More and more every day she finds things in King that make her see how closer they’ve grown to be, and that makes Luz proud and fuzzy inside. She knows that someday she will be independent and probably leave this place, but for now Luz is content enough just to let her take care of him and stay together a little bit longer.

“King,” Luz hears the soft sound of her own voice before she processes what she’s saying, but she doesn’t care. She lets the honesty fill her words. “I love you, very much.”

“What's this all of a sudden? Are all humans this weirdly emotional?” King gives her a confused look, Luz shrugs her shoulders. Yet his little demon face softens and he gives Luz a friendly nudge with his paw. “I love you too, Luz.”

Luz stirs his fur and King groans, shaking his head to get rid of Luz’s hand. A comfortable silence settles between the two of them for a few minutes as they walk. King doesn't take long to break it, with a slightly worried tone.

“Luz, are you serious about leaving Bonesborough?”

“Yes,” Luz says, keeping an easy expression on her face. She gives him a confident look. “But you and Eda can come with me. Gus and Willow are coming too. You could go have as many plushies as you can get in your own room, and we could live in one of those big houses with pools. Can you imagine?”

“Me? With many plushies - _Uh_ , I mean. Minions!? A king-sized bed for the King of Demons!?” King's excited face makes Luz laugh again. “But wait, how're you going to get the money?”

“That's a good question,” Luz nods, remembering Gus' words. “But we still have time to figure that kind of stuff out.”

She looks up. The starry sky, devoid of the worries that haunt the mortal world, shines almost transcendentally. A comforting silence surrounds them and Luz can only hear the singing of the crickets.

“I got it!” Suddenly King shouts as they walk down the stone steps of the sanctuary. From the way he says it and his tone of satisfaction, she reminds Luz of when they finished making cookies with Eda and he decided to stuff them all inside his mouth. “What you have to do, Luz the human, is make a lot of the Elixir of the First Witches, and use the money to go to Hexside City!”

For a moment, Luz’s speechless. She pictures people drinking that sticky whitish fluid and she gets nauseous. _Ew_.

“Boy, that's _disgusting_!”

“And then you could add photos and videos of the making of! You’ll have tons of fans - of _peasants_ under your command!” King continues, excited by his brilliant idea. “The brand name could be The Magic Elixir of the Human! Or something like that. What do you say!?”

Worrying a bit about King's future – is it normal that he has this perception of the world!? – , Luz realizes that, in his own way, he’s caring about her. And that reaches her heart. Maybe King’s also thrilled about living in Hexside City. He could think of something more practical, though. But well, it's his way of helping, Luz guesses. She looks at him from the corner of her eye and finds his pink eyes flashing.

Damn, she's so _cute_ … Well, that's it, they’ll have to think about doing business with the Elixir of the First Witches… But now that Luz thinks about it, _can you go around selling alcohol on your own?_ Not to mention how gross she feels when she thinks of someone drinking that. It's probably not even healthy for anybody.

“Tell me, Luz, what do you think of the idea!?”

“Well...” Luz rubs her neck, trying to find a good answer. “We'll probably need to come up with something else.”

Luz’s definitely not selling the Elixir – _gross_ – , but they’ll find another way to earn money so they can leave. She looks at the sky and pictures for a second that the shimmering stars are sparkling Hexside City lights. 

Then she starts running down the stairs to the huge red arch that stands proud at the entrance of the Coven. From here, they can see the whole village below, the shape of the houses and the small lights that each one of them belongs to a person. They look so tiny; their problems are also so small. Luz feels her heart on the verge of exploding. Too much has happened today. A mix composed of endless emotions – expectations, doubts and worries – overwhelms her. She fills up her lungs with the cool night air and uses it to channel out all the tightness she feels swirling in her chest.

“I've had enough of this town! I've had enough of my life!” Luz shouts, her mind blank and her heart overflowing. “Please, in the next life I want to be reborn as a beautiful girl from Hexside City!”

_Hexside City… City… Ty..._

Luz’s prayer echoes through the mountains for a while until it fades completely, as if Lake Bonesborough, down below, had swallowed it. When she notices how absurd it is that she’s unconsciously shouting what her chest’s been carrying the whole day, Luz’s mind starts to cool down along with the sweat on her body. She notices some tears on the corner of her eyes.

_But… Still…_

_Ancient Witches, if you really are listening…_

_I beg of you…_

_In another life…_

_A girl from Hexside…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter this Wednesday the fun begins! Can Luz pretend to be a Blight for a whole day?


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luz's first day in Amity's body.

The high-pitched sound of an alarm that she doesn’t recognize resounds in the room – It’s the first thing Luz hears when she wakes up.

Half asleep, everything her senses pick up is the annoying ringing of the alarm and how soft the pillow feels under her face. She hugs it, falling for a second back to the peace of sleep. But the alarm keeps ringing, rumbling in her ears until she can't take it anymore. She’s sleep-dead. Of course, yesterday with the ritual and the celebration, Luz came home later than usual; and on top of that, she had to make dinner for King. She wants to keep sleeping, but the phone alarm keeps bothering her. Still with her eyes closed, Luz pulls out her hand from the warm sheets and reaches for it.

_Huh?_

She stretches out her hand to the nightstand next to her bed, but she can't find anything but air. Luz keeps on wiggling it, looking for the table, but her hand doesn't touch anything. _Well, that’s weird._ But it's not enough to make her open her eyes. Luz reaches out a little more, maybe it's further away than she thought. Maybe if she stretches out enough –

“Ouch!”

With a thud, her back hits the cold floor. Apparently, she just fell out of bed. Her right shoulder resents the fall. That hurts. _How stupid you have to be to wake up like that?_ Luz sits down, finally opening her eyes.

_What...?_

A room she doesn’t recognize surrounds her. Luz opens her eyes wide, confused. _Where am I…?_ She doesn’t remember staying at any friend's house last night. Besides, Willow and Gus' places don’t look like this. 

The bed she just fell from is on her left, big and fluffy, against the wall. On her right there's a dark, comfortable looking chair next to a very messy study table, with a table lamp, an empty mug, several books, pencils and many, many drawings. There are also two bookcases in the room overflowing with books that she doesn’t recognize. There's another small table next to the larger bookcase, also full of books. On it hangs a calendar that looks like it's just been bought, and several post-its with letters scribbled in a hurry. Near the ceiling, above the room door, a huge air conditioner shines, stunning. Luz stares at it amazed, they don't have any of those at home. On the wall in front of her there's a uniform hanging, but if Luz’s ever seen it she doesn’t recall it either. And next to it, hung on the wall are many drawings, big and small, precise and clearly drawn with care. There's a bridge, a chubby looking, low building, a skyscraper, what looks like a cafe on the inside, a pavilion…

_What is this place?_

“Where...?”

Luz starts to speak, but she shuts up right away. The voice that sounded wasn't hers. Unconsciously, she touches her throat as if that were going to give her any clue as to why her voice sounds different. Luz doesn’t know why, but somehow she also notices that her throat feels weird.

“What's going on...?”

She tries again, and to her horror, she finds that her voice does sound different. Slightly deeper, more serious than her characteristic playful and carefree voice. _What's happening…?_ Then Luz looks down. Instead of her usual messy short hair, she finds soft waves of green hair. She touches it, incredibly soft to the touch, and pushes it away. Then Luz sees it.

_…This isn’t my pajamas._

The nightgown she’s wearing, which doesn't ring a bell for her either, rests up to her waist, purple and black in soft satin, nothing to do with her usual grey sleeveless top and purple shorts. She focuses her gaze more intensely, maybe she’s just not seeing well, but it's true that this isn’t her clothing. That doesn't make any sense.

One of her ears twitches, and Luz flinches. Now that she pays her attention, she notices something strange there, too, and suddenly its presence is so strong that it completely eclipses the strange fact this isn’t her usual pajamas.

_What is this…?_

Little by little, Luz raises her hands in its direction. She touches her ears and she notices they’re larger, _pointier_ – and considering that, for some reason, Luz’s hearing has gotten quite better; she hears the birds beyond the window, the noises of distant cars and even the conversation of two workers somewhere – This can only mean… By its location in relation to her body, it can only be…

_I am…_

Luz touches her pointy ears again, making sure. They're still there, it wasn’t her imagination. Her heart can't contain it anymore and she explodes.

_I am… a witch!?_

Luz thinks she’s going to faint.

* * *

_Who is this girl?_

Luz looks dumbfounded at the face of the stranger who looks back at her in the mirror, in a bathroom that she doesn’t remember ever stepping in either.

Her hair, with roots starting to grow brown, frames a round and delicate face. Waves of aquamarine hair fall gracefully down her shoulders with a stylish haircut. It gives the sensation of wanting to have an approximate proportion of 60% elegant look and 40% natural. The shape of her eyebrows, thin and dark, gives off a slight softness. But her eyes, big and sharp, golden as the newly melted gold, reveal an aura of mystery. Her irises sparkle with the light that slips through the window; an enigmatic, almost dangerous glow.

Lower down, lips well hydrated and a soft neck with skin paler than Luz’s. For some reason she doesn’t know, in one of her smooth, thin cheeks there's a big Band-Aid, the kind you wear when you get a mildly bad wound. Luz tries to touch it softly, but then she feels a sharp pain spreading from that point to the rest of her face.

 _...That’s weird_. It hurts, but she’s not waking up. She assumed that when she’s dreaming, if she pinches or hurts herself, she usually wakes up. And her throat is dry, too. Luz arches her back to get close to the tap and she makes a cup with her hands to drink the water. It's warm and smells like chlorine from swimming pools water. Luz doesn’t like it.

She looks again at the reflection that the mirror returns. She’s still surprised to look at ‘herself’ in the mirror and seeing pointy ears like a witch. But who is this girl? If she focuses enough, maybe she can remember ever seeing her somewhere –

“Amity, are you awake?”

Luz shrieks a little without realizing it. Her heart almost bursts out of her chest. _Is there someone else in the house?_ That sounded like the voice of a woman in the distance. Suddenly her stomach swells with nerves, should she go out? Luz stands frozen, still in the middle of the bathroom, heart pounding wild. _Wait, did she say 'Amity'?_ Before Luz can think what to do, the voice talks again.

“Breakfast is ready,” the woman says. “It's a little late, your siblings have left already.”

Still fearful, Luz ventures out of the bathroom and into the hallway towards the voice. From her tone, Luz thinks she's a family member of this girl, maybe her mother. Taking small steps without making much noise, she reaches the end of the corridor – a large room that seems to be the dining room. A middle-aged woman dressed in elegant clothes stares at Luz for a moment as she enters, then she raises an eyebrow. Luz notices that she's placing some dishes with food on the table, and when Luz sees them, her stomach roars hungry.

“Thank you,” Luz says hesitantly, sitting at the table in front of the dishes the woman has prepared for this ‘Amity’ girl. _I'm still not used to this voice_ , Luz thinks to herself.

“I'm leaving now, Amity,” she says, looking at her phone and typing something on the screen. Then she looks up and gazes at Luz with a stern expression. “Eat your breakfast.”

Luz stares at her. She's a slender woman, though taller shorter than Luz, wearing elegant, dark clothes. Her hair looks a lot like the girl in the mirror, but a darker shade of green; and this woman wears it collected in a high bun. She also has pointy ears like the ones Luz has now, so she guesses she must be a witch as well. Her eyes also resemble Luz’s – well, Amity’s, the girl in her dream –, golden, but they don't have that touch of mystery, they're rather stern. For some reason, the disciplinary look in her eyes when she looks at Luz is undeniable. Yes, she definitely has to be her mother.

“Ah. Sure,” Luz answers, not knowing what to say.

“And even if you're late or feeling unwell,” she says, walking up to Luz and staring at her severely. Luz stays still. “Do _not_ skip school.”

That said, the woman puts on a coat, takes the keys from the table, opens the door, goes outside and closes gently. And Luz’s still frozen, not understanding what's going on and with her stomach still protesting. _What a weird dream… Are mothers always this scary?_ But first things first. She gets the fork and takes a good bite out of the food. _Delicious_.

As she eats breakfast, Luz looks around again.

At the table, the mother has placed several dishes with food, soup, cutlery, a cup with a cat design – _cute!_ – and a thermos that's still warm. The room is large and seems to include the living room and the kitchen at the same time, linked by a space where there would have been a door at some point. Next to the table is a wooden cabinet with a plasma TV, a cable telephone and more books. On the walls of the dining room there are several photographs and designs of bridges, skyscrapers and other architectural works. The place is so neat and clean that it makes Luz feel worse about the slight mess in her room. If she compares it to one of their rooms in the sanctuary, all so messy and chaotic– though that's thanks to Eda –, it seems as if she’s entered a spotless castle.

Luz finishes her breakfast when she can't get anything else into her stomach and decides to look around the house, now that apparently there's nobody around. There's the dining room that's connected to the kitchen, the corridor and then there are four rooms – the room where Luz woke up, the bathroom, the parents' bedroom, two other locked bedrooms and a study room. That woman said her siblings had already gone off, so Luz guesses the locked bedrooms are this girl’s siblings’. Luz thinks about what a life with someone to play and grow up with that isn’t just King would be like, and she feels she would've liked it, though she isn’t complaining either. 

She keeps exploring though. When Luz looks at the arrangement of the rooms, she realizes that she’s in an apartment. She doesn’t understand where this dream came from, but she has to admit that, to be _her_ , the level of realism is a blast. Luz feels proud of herself. She didn't know she had so much imagination. Perhaps in the future she could consider career opportunities related to the world of art and everything.

Then she hears a sound coming from ‘her’ bedroom, the ring that marks a message arriving sounds all over the hallway. Luz panics, swallows hard and rushes back to the bedroom. She finds the phone on the floor next to the sheets – they probably fell with Luz out of bed –, and the screen lights up with a message.

**I can't believe you fell asleep, Mittens. Wake up, you're late! Emira.**

_Huh? What does this mean? Who is Emira!?_

Luz leaves the phone in bed, not daring to answer. _What could I say anyway? I don't know who she is!_ But she seems to mean Luz’s late for class. Now that she says so, this girl's mother also insisted that Luz goes, even if she was late. _I see, so the goal of the dream for now is to get to the high school building._ That's fine. Luz looks again at the room and notices that, by the window, the uniform she saw before is still hanging. She stands up, grabs it and heads to the bathroom.

This may be a dream, and technically it's still Luz but in the body of a girl who's not her, but this is still, well, another girl's body – While Luz changes, she does her best to not look at her figure in the mirror. This is going to be more difficult than she originally thought.

With her uniform and shoes on, and the bag she found in the room, Luz opens the apartment door and closes it behind her. _Maybe when I leave the house the dream will end and I'll wake up in my bed_ , she also thinks sadly, since for now the dream is fascinating. But that's not what happens when she looks up.

As Luz gazes upwards, the landscape in front of her takes her breath away.

Luz finds herself in the outside hallway of a rather high floor. In front of her, an immense natural park covers with its green mantle a great part of the surroundings, almost everything she can see. The sky, a perfect uniform cerulean blue and without a single cloud, envelops everything. And where the blue of the sky and the green of the park kiss, there's a cluster of buildings of different sizes and shapes, as if they were a well-organized row of origami figures, each more complex and magnificent than the last. Every single one of them is full of windows sculpted to the detail, small meticulous and precise stitches. Some reflect the gleaming sky, others the intense greenery of the trees and others shine with the tinkling of the rays they catch from the sun. In the distance, Luz can see even more constructions – the red tip of a tower that rises defiantly, a golden and rounded building that radiates confidence, another deeply black one that shines as if it were carved in obsidian, etc. All of them are famous, Luz’s sure, she remembers having heard about them. Next to the buildings, tiny cars that look like toys perfectly aligned move through the city at breathtaking speeds. Tiny people, like ants, rush back and forth in this endless landscape.

 _It's so cool_ , much more beautiful than Luz would've ever imagined on her own from pictures they see on TV, in movies, or what books say. But here it is – the Demon Realm's biggest city. Full of excitement, with her heart beating in ecstasy, she only manages to whisper a word that floats in the air carrying all the enthusiasm that now overflows in her chest and that she can barely control.

“Hexside City…!”

The world around her is shining, shining so brightly that, as if Luz was looking at the sun, she can't help narrowing her eyes as she takes a deep breath in the air of the metropolis. Hopping with her eyes from one point to another, from one building to another, Luz’s sure it's the most wonderful dream she’s ever had. _I never want to wake up_ , Luz thinks to herself, soaking up every detail of the beautiful city that proudly stretches out in front of and all around her.

 _I should get to class_ , she also thinks with the thrill of stepping into the vibrant city flowing all over her body like adrenaline. Luz takes the phone out of the bag and finds the Google Maps App. She types in the search bar the name that's written on the uniform Luz’s wearing, hoping it's enough, and smiles when she sees the screen light up with the fastest route. _All set then, let's go!_

Luz leaves the apartment behind and arrives at a street that's huge, it's probably an avenue. As far as she can tell, all she sees are hundreds of people walking in every direction, with all sorts of looks, and constantly filling her field of vision. Luz has never seen so many people together, not even when they celebrate the festival in Bonesborough. Her heart beats quick, stunned, taking in every detail she gets from her surroundings. Every smell, every scene, every new thing that she sees, every emotion that she feels, Luz tries to engrave everything on fire in her mind. 

She looks up at the vast, never ending buildings that proudly stretch out into the sky, with large windows that mirror the brightness of the sun. The whole city shines; wherever Luz looks, she finds a thousand things that fascinate her. Several birds fly in formation through the blue sky dotted with choppy clouds. For once, Luz doesn’t think about what it would be like to fly free, since her head is so full of wonder that nothing else fits.

Luz sees several bridges full of cars coming and going at the speed of light, crossing the vertiginous roads with enviable skill. Driving such fancy cars in such a breathtaking city must be a great feeling. Hundreds of trains flow harmoniously and strictly on the tracks, intertwining and converging, arriving and departing full of passengers in a matter of seconds, with astonishing precision. She imagines herself being one of those travelers, taking the train to unknown destinations, no ties of any kind. 

Some of the huge buildings have large screens, as big as anything she’s ever seen before. Luz stares at them, mouth open. _If only Willow and Gus were here and saw all this…!_ The screens play music videos with vivid colors and flashy scenes, and Luz can't look away. "Weekly Music Ranking Top 10", it says. Luz could spend the whole morning here. Also, around her there are a lot of trendy shops that she’d love to get into, so original that she couldn't have imagined they existed. _There are cafes for petting cats! Hexside City is the best place in the world!_

As if on a cloud, Luz explores every corner of the huge city she’s dreamed of so much. Thanks to a dream, it's now right at her fingertips.

* * *

“Hey! Where did you buy this?”

“In Hexside Emporium, after coming back from dance class...”

“I'm planning on going to their next concert…”

“Hey, do you feel like skipping after-school activities to go to the movies today?”

“The agency executive will be coming to tonight's multiple date…”

_But… But what are these conversations? Do these kids really study in high school?_

Luz’s hiding behind the half-opened class door while she decides when it's the best time to come in. Truth is, listening to the posh conversations they're having, Luz feels completely out of place. She’s a country girl from a village in the middle of nowhere where the closest thing they have to a cafe is a bus stop, how is she going to fit into the metropolis overnight? 

Luz regrets internally coming here, she should've stayed wandering around the city and exploring every corner. But this girl's mother and that Emira girl insisted that she came. _I would’ve rather stayed walking around the city_. Though, if she’s honest with herself, all of this thrills Luz very much. Even getting lost has been fun. Yes, with the phone's GPS she managed to get here, but there are so many cool things in Hexside City that Luz couldn't help but wander off the road a couple of times. She’s arrived, and that's what matters, isn't it? 

Besides, it hasn't been that difficult to find this place, it's huge. In fact, just as she was entering the building, the bell that signals the beginning of the break rang. Luz looks at the class again, still not ready to enter and she looks at the other students – Some girls are applying lotion to their hands, a whole bag of beauty products scattered on the table; others are eating a McDonald's that they've ordered; others have all sorts of bags on the tables of brands that Luz’s only seen advertised on TV. _They're supposed to be my age, aren't they?_ Luz thinks to herself, lamenting internally as she compares her life to theirs.

_These students are so weird... But the school building is awesome!_

Entire walls made of glass and cement, steel doors painted in various colors, large rooms of flawless white, huge windows that let in all the clarity from outside, several floors that can be seen from below with amplitude, lengthy corridors with many classes... _Am I sure I'm not in the Universal Demon Expo pavilion?_ Luz thinks to herself. This place is excessively elegant, nothing to do with the pitiful high school of Bonesborough on top of a plateau. The best thing about it is the view of the lake, so…

Along the way while Luz was getting here she peeked in the bag she picked up before she left the house and found some interesting things. The main one has been the wallet, where there's the student card with the name and the photo of this girl. Her name is Amity Blight, and apparently she's Luz’s age and lives in this world, so different and opposite to hers. In the photo she appears with a confident expression, keeping the air of mystery in her gaze. Luz wonders what her personality would be like. Would she really be confident and mysterious as she appears? Or would that be a whole facade and she's actually totally different? Would she be a good person? Would she and Luz be friends if she wasn’t part of a dream?

“Mittens!”

Someone suddenly comes up to Luz and she hears their angry voice behind her. She flinches and avoids just in time to let out a scream. _Mittens?_ Luz turns slowly and finds in front of her a girl with her hands resting on her hips and a stern look on her face. Her hair is very long, tied up in a bulky plait, green like this Amity’ girl’s hair but slightly darker. _Are they related?_ In fact, Luz had never seen anyone with that unusual hair color before. Her big golden eyes are piercing into Luz’s with a total disapproving and reproaching look. Luz shrinks instinctively, this girl is taller than she is but she's not going to do anything to her, right? _I don't even know her!_

“So now you deign to show up, huh? Skipping half a morning of classes!”

The girl Luz doesn’t recognize walks up to her, more and more threatening, eyes of burning gold. With an accusing finger pointing at her, she continues taking steps towards Luz, not taking her eyes off her. Luz takes as many steps back, not really knowing what she should say – _I don't know what's going on!_ – Nerves climb up Luz’s body as if driven by electricity, the hair on her neck bristling.

“Uh… I…”

Luz stutters, but it doesn't seem to be what the girl wanted to hear. She strikes again.

“Really? Edric and I give you a little more independence and what you do is sleep in?” She says, reproching. Luz’s mind stops functioning altogether, there's definitely something intimidating with this girl. “You've also ignored my messages.”

“I'm sorry…” Luz says, almost whispering.

She half-closes her eyes, she doesn’t want to see the reaction the girl is about to have now, if she'll get even more angry – _Who's this girl? And what have I done to deserve this?_ Luz thinks to herself. She weeps inside while waiting for more words of reproach. Instead, Luz hears a long sigh. She opens her eyes again and the girl who had been terrifying a few seconds ago now just looks a little tired. Luz no longer finds anger in her eyes, but a trace of concern in a now kinder look.

“We thought something might’ve happened to you on the way here. Do you have any idea how worried we were about you?” The honesty in her words moves Luz. She opens her mouth a little to answer, and just then she remembers the message on the phone this morning. She must be Emira. Maybe calling her by her name will help her relax.

“Sorry, Emira.”

Luz looks deep into her eyes, watching as all tracks of anger and concern disappear, replaced by a semblance of self-confidence that fills her gaze. Then she gives her a small half smile, shaking her head slightly, as if saying that it doesn't matter anymore. Luz smiles a little too, relieved. Emira starts walking ahead, passing in front of Luz, when she hears her talk again.

“Come on, let's go get something to eat.”

And so Luz starts to follow Emira till she’s walking beside her. _What a strange girl._

* * *

“You say you were _lost_?”

Someone called Edric, a boy physically identical to Emira - _are they twins?_ \- that looks like he’s never harmed a fly, looks at Luz with a totally confused face and with his big eyes excessively open.

This boy, just like Emira, has dark-ish green hair and a mole under his right eye. But unlike her, Edric looks less intimidating. Luz has learned two things in these past ten minutes: that these two are Amity’s older siblings, and that they’re both really _pretty_.

“Can you please explain to us, Mittens,” Emira interrupts Luz’s thinking with a mocking tone, “how come you’ve gotten lost on your way here?”

“Well…” Luz stutters. What should she say? She can’t just tell them she’s not Amity, but a random country girl that has nothing to do with them! Though, if this is really a dream, it doesn’t actually matter what Luz says to them. _Still…_

The three of them are sitting on some benches that are on the high school’s rooftop, Emira said something about staying in the sun for a while. Even though it’s break time, there’s almost no one around them. Maybe they don’t want to get tanned. Or maybe the building’s so big that there are plenty of places to be in. Luz would like to explore, but right now she has two pairs of golden eyes staring at her, inquiring.

“You see,” she says, faking her confident tone. “I’ve slept in, then I got distracted on the way.”

“Distracted by what?” Emira stares at her narrowing her eyes, not completely believing what she’s saying. “Come on, you know you don’t get to have any private secrets. Ed and I will _always_ find out.”

“Shoot…” Luz mutters, biting her lip. _I hadn’t thought about that yet, they’re relentless!_ Luz mentally checks the things she’s seen this morning while the twins look at her with growing suspicion. She ends up saying the first thing that crosses her mind. “Hum… a cat cafe!”

“I thought you were allergic to cats…?” Edric makes a half-stunned, half-incredulous look, looking at Luz. _Wait, what?_ Luz blushes. She knows next to nothing about this Amity girl, this is a mess!

“Did you just say _‘shoot’_?” Emira crosses her arms skeptically, as if it was something her sister would never say. Anxiety climbs up Luz’s back; she’s saying all the wrong things. She bites her lip again.

“Truth is…” Luz sighs, giving up. She tries to find the easiest and most believable excuse and she throws it at them. “I didn’t feel so well this morning, it’s just that.”

“Mittens, are you okay?” The concern filling Edric’s eyes moves Luz, and she gets the feeling that he’s probably a very sweet boy. Luz nods, smiling a little.

“Have you checked your temperature? You might have a fever,” Emira, still with a mistrustful look in her eyes, stretches her hand out to touch Luz’s forehead. She gently pushes it aside.

“I’m fine, really. I just had a bad headache.”

Luz lies, but she can’t tell them that she’s actually not their sister, they’d think she’s crazy. They seem satisfied with her answer so she lets out a shaky breath and relaxes, looking around her. 

Just like the rest of this building, the rooftop terrace is amazing – spacious, spotless, with courts for playing various sports and with a big silver fence that keeps them from falling. The sun shines through it’s fine metal, just like it glowed on every window of this bright city. Luz remembers the sense of freedom she tasted while walking by every street, and she lets it flow over her again.

“It has been amazing,” she whispers to herself, lost in her imagination, but Emira and Edric hear her and they turn to look at Luz, waiting for her to continue. Luz gets nervous again, scratching the back of her neck. “I mean… Hexside City is so full of life! It’s like being at a festival all the time!”

The twins look at each other with a weird expression on their faces. Luz's stomach tightens a bit, probably because she feels like a walking disaster. _Why is it so hard to pretend to be another person?_

“Hey, is it just me, or you’re talking strange today, Mittens?” Edric holds his chin, thoughtful. Emira nods but she doesn’t add anything else. “Stranger than that day we ate your cake on your sixth birthday and you started crying and cursing at us in a made-up language, do you remember? Oh, you also have an accent today.”

 _Huh? Am I talking that weird? Do I have an accent? Wait, these two are so mean to their little sister._ Still, Luz feels the blush rising up on her cheeks. _I’m not from the capital, what were you expecting?_

Luz thinks to herself, avoiding to meet their gazes and focusing on what’s far beyond the iron fence, where the blue sky is painted with clouds like white strokes. This dream surprises her more and more because of the level of detail that it has. It’s a blast. Luz wishes she could bring King, she knows he would love this. Well, Luz can always tell him all about this tomorrow, but he probably won’t believe her.

“Mittens, where’s your lunch?”

Emira asks, as if she had decided that’s better to put the topic aside. Luz silently thanks her. But now that she thinks about it… She forgot to bring the lunch box. _How could I have known that you could get hungry in a dream?_ Even so, Luz rummages in the bag just in case she does find something. She finds nothing. There are a couple books, notebooks, a pencil case with lots of pens, a tiny mirror, a small comb, a pocket umbrella, the wallet… but no food. Luz gets even more nervous, and even though she knows she won’t find anything else, she keeps searching, because she’s said enough wrong things already and she doesn’t want them to be even more suspicious of her than what they already are. Then Luz hears Emira sighing. She stands up fast, picking up her things with graceful movements.

“Let’s go buy you something, nitwit.”

And without giving her a chance to say anything, not even a thank you, Emira starts walking away heading inside the building. Edric stands up too, waiting for Luz with a soft smile of understanding.

Luz gets up and starts walking next to Edric to catch Emira. _What a bad habit she has, walking ahead of everybody_ , Luz thinks to herself, but by the concerned tone she spoke to her before and the fact that she’s now showing the initiative to go buy her something to eat, Luz understands this is her way of caring for her little sister. What a weird girl.

“Do you think she’s mad again?” Luz asks Edric. She wouldn’t like to face that temper twice today. A chill spreads through her body when she remembers it.

“Not at all,” he makes an unworried gesture with his hand and shrugs. “You know her. It’s just that she worries about you. Well, the same goes for me. I too worry about you. We both do, even if we go through your things more often than not.” Edric chuckles. “But that’s just our role as older siblings; we like playing around, you know?”

“I know,” Luz gently nudges him. She likes them, maybe she could be friends with him and Emira if the circumstances were different. If they weren’t part of a dream, she thinks. “Thanks, Ed.”

Edric opens his mouth to answer, but in that moment Emira spins around and, as if the thought just flew over her head, she asks.

“By the way, wanna go to a cafe and drink something after class?”

She says, with the most casual tone ever. Luz stares at her, her eyes growing wide.

“Cool with me,” Edric nods.

 _Wait a second, where do they want to go?_ Luz’s chest fills with a thrill that she can barely contain, just like this morning, at the very verge of exploding. Emira locks her eyes on Luz, a confident golden glow on her gaze.

“What about you, Mittens?” She asks. “You’re coming to the cafe too, right?”

With her eyes widely opened and her body trembling with excitement, Luz takes some steps until she’s uncomfortably close to Emira, who’s looking at her with the oddest and more startled of expressions. But Luz doesn’t seem to care. Her heart buzzes, hopeful.

“Go to a… To a… _Cafe_!?” Luz shouts in the middle of the hallway, not able to contain herself anymore. Edric and Emira frown deeply, as if this was the strangest situation they’ve ever been in.

Luz has learnt that Amity definitely isn’t a person who can go around cats or who shows emotions freely. But what can she do? She’s her total opposite! And they’ve said they’re going to a real cafe, Luz’s finally taking revenge on the bus station’s cafe! _This day’s getting better each second,_ Luz thinks with her mind practically in the clouds, so wrapped up in ecstasy like it hasn’t been for a very long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we meet Boscha >:)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luz meets Boscha & at the end of the day she discovers Amity's secret.

Two tiny and cute little dogs, sitting on some grid chairs and dressed in little suits that make them look like pop singers, look at Luz with eyes that are like two candy balls, moving their little tails non-stop. Luz’s heart melts with tenderness – they’re so cute! They look like the kind of puppies you see on TV. In fact, this whole cafeteria also looks like one of those modern cafes where celebrities go for coffee, lifting their pinkies and having elegant conversations.

Luz’s sitting in a very comfortable and roomy wicker chair, with Emira and Edric observing the cafeteria with pleased faces that say ‘this place is nice’, while Luz’s head goes ‘this place is totally awesome!’. 

The distance between one table and another is excessively wide, as if they wanted to leave a personal and private space for each table. There are quite a few people now that she’s looking around, each person with a different look – half of them are foreigners, Luz can tell from how they speak. A third of them wear sunglasses, even though they’re inside a hall and the sun doesn't shine on them directly; others wear hats, and nobody wears a suit like Emira, Edric and Luz are. If Luz had to guess what they do for a living, she’d be clueless. They’re all so different! Nothing to do with the people she sees on Bonesborough, because they’ll most likely be all farmers.

The café is decorated with a lot of wood; in fact, the ceiling is made entirely of polished wood beams with a royal style. From them hang semicircular lamps that project a faint white light, since the sun still comes in through the large windows that are placed on the walls. It's a very large and bright room. Luz looks at everything, fascinated. It's the first time she’s been in a cafeteria like this! And the little puppies keep looking at her, all cute and happy.

“The structure of the wooden ceiling is exquisite,” Emira says with a critical eye.

“Yes,” Edric nods vehemently. “It’s certainly very elaborated.”

As Luz gazes around, Edric and Emira notice every detail of the place and share it with each other. They’ve tried to drag Luz into their conversation too, but as she has no idea of buildings she just nodded and smiled until one of them brought another thing up. She guesses both of them, and probably Amity Blight as well, are interested in architecture and they visit trendy cafes like this one. Maybe that's what they study at that elegant high school – Luz kind of fell asleep at class in the end so she wouldn’t know. That would also explain why this Amity girl has her room full of so many drawings of buildings and different constructions, they have to interest her a lot.  _ With that ability to draw and that passion, I'm sure she'll go far. _

Luz smiles to herself, she’s discovered a new trait of Amity that she didn't know, and she’s happy for a moment to think that Amity is more than just a face in the mirror. Luz wishes she could meet her someday, maybe in another dream, she wonders. Even so, Luz can't help but think it's a bit of a strange hobby, girls in her class hang out to paint their nails and watch contests on TV!

“What are you ordering, Mittens?” Emira asks, dragging Luz out of her world.

Well, now that she has mentioned it, Luz’s been so focused on looking at the cafeteria that she doesn’t know what food there is. She focuses her attention on the massive leather menu on the table in front of her, and she opens it slowly and carefully. With fine, elegant writing, the list of things they can order is endless. Luz gets her mouth watery just by reading the dessert part, even those with such a strange name that she doesn’t have any idea what they might taste like. Coconut pancake, chocolate banana pancake, blueberry cheese pancake, tropical pancake... Luz wonders what the pancakes will be like, big and puffy. Or the cakes, fresh and delicious. Or ice cream, cool and exotic. Or the smoothies, bubbly and sweet. If Luz could come every day, she’d end up ordering everything on the menu.  _ What should I order _ , Luz thinks happily as she jumps from one dessert to another with her eyes.  _ Wait _ . Now that she thinks about it, she probably should check the prices first.

“Oh, my God!” Luz exclaims, pushing the menu a bit away from her, alarmed. “I could live a whole month with how much this pancake is!”

“Do you live in the Stone Age or what?” Edric laughs, teasingly.

Luz opens her mouth to complain again but she closes it immediately.  _ Everything is very expensive, it's not my fault that I come from a small town and I’m poor!  _ The twins fix their eyes on Luz – Edric with a funny expression, he probably thought Luz was joking; but Emira glances at her, serious and suspecting her again, as if adding this comment to the list of 'strange things Amity has said today that make her not sound like Amity at all'. It's probably just a matter of time before she tells Luz something like ‘You're not really Amity, who are you?’ and the cover will be blown. Luz gets nervous thinking about it, she wouldn't know what to say, and she doesn’t want to have to face an angry Emira again. 

But, actually... If this is a dream, Luz shouldn’t mind being exposed. And she shouldn’t mind ordering some pancakes, either. Actually, it's not her money, it's Amity Blight's. This idea makes Luz feel better and now she’s definitely determined to order the most amazing thing she can find in the menu.  _ All in all, it's just a dream! _

The pancake Luz orders has several layers and is the spongiest and fluffiest food she’s ever tasted. It's like biting a piece of sky, like eating a sweet cloud with honey and fruits slipping on its smooth surface, so delicious that she thinks she’s ascended beyond paradise, unleashing exquisite culinary sensations in her mouth. Luz thinks that, after this, she won’t want to try anything else in her whole life.

_ Ah... What a dream... _

After finishing the stunning pancake, that looked more like an imposing fortress surrounded by pieces of mango and blueberries, Luz lets out a deep sigh of satisfaction and sips her cinnamon coffee. It's a good thing she took that picture of it when she got it, cause it was perfect even for the sight. Luz wishes she could send it to Willow, she’s sure her friend would be a little jealous. But someday Luz will bring her and Gus to a restaurant like this one, to try celestial pancakes together. Though Edric and Emira aren't bad company either, Luz likes them. Even though their conversation topics are a bit weird to her –  _ seriously, what high schooler talks about architecture in their free time!? _

Then something buzzes in Luz’s pocket. She takes Amity’s phone out and the message she sees on the screen erases all the satisfaction the pancake just gave her, and it makes her worried for a second. It's full of angry emojis, as if someone somewhere in this city was very angry at Amity Blight. Luz keeps reading the message.

“Oh no, what do I do?” Luz says, alarmed, as she turns her phone so they can see the scary message too. “I'm late for work! Someone who seems to be my boss is very angry!”

“Oh, did you have a shift today?” Edric asks with all the peace and calmness of the world as he sips his coffee.

“You'd better hurry. The longer you take, the more upset they'll be, Mittens” Emira adds, glancing sideways at Luz. “Being late for class and now for work as well…”

“Right! You're right!” Luz nods, getting up in a hurry, but just as she’s about to turn to leave, a very obvious thought bursts into her head.

“...What's up with you now?” Emira tilts her head, looking at Luz with a strange look in her golden eyes.

“Uh, guys...” Luz scratches the back of her head with a nervous smile. “Can you remind me where I work...?”

“...What?"

Luz notices Emira's eyes narrowing dangerously, but if she's going to say something she finally decides not to. Luz sighs internally, still smiling awkwardly. Rather than looking at her with disbelief, Luz thinks the two now think she’s been trying to play a bad joke on them all day.  _ But what do you want me to do? It's not my fault I don't know anything about this girl! _

* * *

“Is my order going to take much longer?” A lady frowns.

“Amity, take note of table 12!” Another waiter urges her.

“I'm sorry, but this isn't what I asked for...” A gentleman looks at her with annoyance.

“Amity, I just told you we're out of truffles!” A cook scolds her.

“I’ve been waiting a lot of time, can you charge me now, please?” An old lady pressures her.

“Amity, get out of the way!” Another waitress pushes her.

“Amity, please take this seriously!” The chef roars at her.

“Amity!” The whole world yells at her, and Luz feels her energy running out.

She’s in a high-class Italian restaurant that seems to be very expensive.

It's a very roomy, large two-storey restaurant – people can reach the second floor by an imposing imperial-looking staircase with very narrow steps. On the high ceiling hang huge, bright chandeliers that remind Luz of those film scenes where they show the castle from the inside, like in ‘Beauty and the Beast’. There are also big, modern-looking helical ventilators on the ceiling that swirl smoothly, freshening up the great hall. The decoration, simple but elegant, gives the hall an even more film-like atmosphere. The tables, with fine light blue tablecloths, are full of people talking from how their day has gone to complex business meetings, all customers dressed in a formal way. And the large windows with intricate wood and metal designs let you see the vibrant city of Hexside that extends beyond them, full of life, of a thousand colors and people flowing through it. Amity Blight, in a distinguished black and white suit and bow tie, works as a waitress in this restaurant. And by dinnertime, of course, this place is terribly crowded.

Luz mixes up the orders, she sets the tables wrong, customers look at her with disapproval and click their tongues and the chef yells at her several times. She feels as if she’s immersed in a current stronger than her, carrying her around at will, dragging her along with its relentless flow. Luz runs back and forth without a break from one place to another, as she’s been doing for a lot of hours now. At this point she’s lost the embarrassment of talking to strangers and she doesn’t see the people around her, she only sees dishes, orders, menus, tables to clean, notes to bring and more orders to deliver. Luz feels the energy draining slowly within her, but she keeps moving. More than a dream, this has turned into a nightmare... Luz thinks to herself, rectifying a new mistake and trying not to fall down the stairs with the order again.  _ They don't have to be so mean to me, nobody understands it's my first day working here! This is all your fault, Amity Blight! _ Luz laments internally while she cleans another table.

“Hey, excuse me. Waitress,” a deep voice reaches her ears. “Hey, witch.”

“Ah… Yes?”

Quickly, Luz turns in the direction of the owner of the voice. Something inside her revolves with disgust.  _ How can you call a waitress ‘witch’ with such a tone? Isn't that like super mean?  _ Even though Luz doesn’t feel directly involved because she isn’t actually a witch, she still feels that humans and witches shouldn’t be this inconsiderate with each other, they’re supposed to be treated as equals now. 

That idea triggers a kind of protective anger in Luz. Even if she doesn’t know this Amity girl at all, and even if she's part of a dream, no human should be mean to her because she’s a witch. Besides that trait, Amity has many other more valuable things. She's probably a good friend and a good sister, since Emira and Edric seem to be happy around her. She's passionate about the things she likes, her room's full of really great drawings made with care. She's probably a hard worker, too, cause that school seemed very challenging. And she has the courage to work in such a place several days a week even though her parents have money! Luz doesn’t know where this feeling of familiarity comes from, or why it pissed her off this much that they were mean to a girl who's just part of a dream, but she feels the need to defend her, for some reason. At least now that she shares her body.

Yet... Luz can't face a person who's a client. For Amity's sake and her job, if Luz wants her to keep it. So she tries to focus her attention on him in a casual way.

The owner of the voice is a human with a look that doesn't fit in this place – he wears the collar of the shirt rolled up almost with superiority, a gold chain and several large, shiny rings, with the shirt the same color as the wine he holds in one hand. The smirk of self-sufficiency on his face makes Luz shiver a little.

“I found a toothpick inside the pizza,” he informs her with a faint clearly fake smile.

“What?” Luz tilts her head, confused.

The mean customer picks up with his fingers the last piece of basil pizza on his plate, showing her a toothpick that crosses the dough with an expression almost like satisfaction, as if proudly showing an achievement. Luz’s puzzled, not sure how to react. The client, while still smiling, adds.

“This is very dangerous, don't you think? It could've hurt me. Luckily I've noticed it, but even so,” his unpleasant smile widens. “Well, what are you going to do?”

“Huh...?”

_ You're the one who put that in there! _ Luz feels like telling him, but something tells her that she can't say that to a customer. She makes a tentative smile. The man keeps his, narrowing his eyes almost menacingly. Another chill runs down Luz’s back in a second. She can't confront this guy, but she doesn’t want to tell him what he wants to hear either cause he's clearly making it up, and he's been disrespectful to Amity. She’s searching for the best answer she can think of.

“In an Italian restaurant there are no toothpicks, sir,” Luz holds his gaze, defiant. She sees his smile completely disappearing.

“Huh!?” He shouts angrily as he knocks the table so hard that he raises it from the floor for a moment. The murmurings of the restaurant freezes all at once and Luz feels all eyes turn to this table. Anger bubbles inside her, but she can't do anything. “I asked you what you  _ plan  _ to do about it!”

Her brain is buzzing with possible scenarios but neither of them please her enough – at least, not the ones where he doesn’t end up being punched in the face –, and she doesn’t have the experience to know what to do in these situations. Plus, the whole restaurant is now staring at them, and now that there isn’t the rumble of people’s voices mixed up in the background, all Luz can hear is the sound of her heart beating in her ears.  _ Quick, think of something, Noceda! _ But just as she opens her mouth to reply, Luz feels someone walking up to them.

“What’s going on here?”

A waitress slightly taller than Luz just appeared out of nowhere and shoves her away. Luz notices her pink skin and pointy ears. _ Is she a witch? _ She looks at Luz sideways with confidence reflected in her three purple eyes and whispers ‘let me handle this’. Another waitress Luz doesn’t know shows up from behind her, grabbing her arm and dragging her out of the scene.

“What's the matter with you today?” She asks her, worried, but Luz doesn’t pay attention to her. She searches through the tables again for the annoying client and the waitress who just saved her from having to deal with him.

“Please excuse the inconvenience, sir.” Luz sees the girl apologizing with ease, as if it were the most usual thing in the world for her and not the first time she’s had to deal with situations like that. Her stern and cool appearance makes Luz a little jealous. “The food is on the house. You can fill a complaint sheet, but if you aren’t gonna do it then you may take your leave now and stop putting on a dumb show over a stupid slice of pizza.”

The client is kind of scared of her strict tone of voice and he tenses up; the restaurant staff relaxes. The soft murmurs of the hall can be heard again, as if someone had turned the volume switch, and Luz loses the thread of conversation.

* * *

The opening hours of the restaurant are finally over.

The chandelier light is dimmed, the tablecloths of the tables are put away, and the workers are busy cleaning up – one takes inventory of the products in the fridge, another touches the telematic menu in the cash register, etc. As for Luz, she has to vacuum the floor – the vacuum cleaner is as big as a lawnmower. Now that there are no clients and the light that envelops the room is less bright, the place looks even bigger. But, after so many hours running from one side to another in this place, Luz finds it comforting to see it so quiet. She already recognizes some of the faces of those who work here, and as she passes by while she cleans, she nods to them as if she was saying ‘Good job!’. They always smile back, it’s nice. It's been exhausting, not going to lie, but it's also been a new experience Luz couldn’t have had back in Bonesborough. This day is giving her a whole lot of special things and she’s having a great time living every single one, though she wouldn't mind going to Amity Blight's house and letting it end now. There's only one thing she wants to do before she leaves.

Luz still hasn’t found a good time to talk to the waitress who helped her before, and who's now cleaning the restaurant tables. She stops the vacuum cleaner for a moment and looks at her now that she's turned, she sees her back. She's slightly taller than Luz is and she’s wearing the same black and white uniform that Luz is. Today she’s meeting so many witches, this is amazing! She has her magenta hair tied back in a bun, which Luz realizes must be much more comfortable for working than wearing it down. Luz can't see the look on her face from here, but she does see her lips frowned as she cleans, and she remembers the stern and almost threatening look on her face when she came to her rescue. With her dazzling pink hair, piercing lilac eyes and the way she acts in control over everything around her, this girl gives Luz the feeling that she must be the fearless boss of this place, at least for the staff. Like one of those people who are simply shiny and admired no matter what they do, whose forward personality makes you want to follow them. Luz finds her interesting and tries to get closer. Finally, as she walks past her she gets to read the small tag hanging from the shirt of her uniform. Boscha. Now it's the time to talk to her!

“Excuse me, Boscha,” Luz says aloud, getting close until she’s right in front of her. The witch turns and looks at her with her three eyes, waiting for her to talk. “Thank you so much for earlier.”

“Don't sweat it,” she says. “That guy was a total  _ jerk _ .”

She gives Luz a look that says  _ ‘loser’ _ , making a gesture with the cleaning cloth as if trivializing it, which honestly makes Luz feel better. Her eyelashes, incredibly long and dark that anyone would be jealous of, frame her three eyes, -which having them isn’t uncommon in witches-, that makes Luz feel like she’s looking at a witches’ beauty catalogue. Luz likes this girl, she'd be an interesting powerful friend, she thinks.

“Besides, that  _ dounce  _ made it up,” she says, folding her arms behind her head and leaning on them, shrugging. “I followed the manual and he didn’t pay for his dinner, though.”

Totally unconcerned, Boscha gives her one last dazzling look before turning the cloth over and leaning to clean another table, ending the conversation since, for her, it has no more relevance. She admires her, Luz was quite emotional but Boscha acted quickly and tenacious. She she wonders if they could be friends in her world. Luz draws closer to her again, determined to continue the conversation. Then another waitress' exclamation interrupts what she was going to say.

“Boscha, your trousers!”

“Huh?”

Boscha turns her torso to one side and looks at her back. A long, straight cut goes through the dark fabric of the waitress’ trousers at the top of her thigh. Opening her eyes wide, Boscha soon covers it by twisting her white apron. Her expression is angry and upset. It's only natural, who'd expect this? Luz’s sure it's been that jerk from before.

“Are you hurt?” The waitress asks, approaching Boscha.

“What happened?” Another waiter appears out of nowhere.

“Ugh,  _ fuck _ . Just my luck,” Boscha growls. “Now I have to go change.”

“Someone has cut her trousers,” someone else says.

“It must've been the guy from before,” a waiter grumbles next to Luz. Her thoughts exactly.

“Some time ago something similar happened,” the waiter adds. “Now that I think about it...”

“Do you remember his face?” Another boy gets near with an angry face.

“That idiot...!” Some other girl shows up, frustrated.

“That stupid  _ jerk! _ ”

Boscha raises her hands in annoyance as more and more workers keep coming and swirling around her, overwhelming her with questions. Luz notices Boscha growing angrier in the crowd of waitresses and waiters that’s formed around her.

Now it's Luz’s turn to help her.

She steps forward, moved by a strange force that pulls her, and when she realizes it, Luz is holding Boscha's hand and taking the two of them away from the crowd of people. Luz doesn’t know exactly where she’s heading, she just knows that Boscha’s hand is warm in hers, and she wonders if this is something Amity Blight would've done.

* * *

Green for the field and the plants. Orange for flowers and butterflies. But she still needs one more thing. Something brown, maybe… She knows, a hedgehog. And she’ll make a little cream-colored nose in it.

Diligent, Luz fixes the cut of the trousers sewing the two ends. They’re in a room that's beyond the kitchens, a quiet place that she found when she fled from the restaurant's great hall with Boscha. It looks like a room where they keep stuff, and luckily Luz found a sewing box – in which, for some reason, there were threads of different colors and Luz thought she could do something nice. Eda has taught her the secrets of sewing for many years, and she’s also been helping at the First Witches’ Coven for a long time, making her own fabrics, so Boscha’s in the best possible hands.

By inserting and removing the needle with an expert hand, the colored threads trace out original patterns on the boring black of the trousers, and Luz hums something peacefully as she sews. At the same time, Boscha watches her with a curious and intrigued face, wearing a spare pair of trousers that they also found in this room, but that are a little too small for her.

“There you go!”

After five minutes of patching them up, Luz returns the trousers to Boscha with a wide, proud smile. She’s happy with it, it's turned out to be a very nice and colorful design. She waits to see her reaction.

“This is… definitely  _ something _ , Amity.” Luz sees Boscha's eyes scan the trousers with a grimace when she gives them back, and her smile wavers a little. Boscha seems to notice. “I mean, it’s  _ horrendous  _ but… I guess I have nothing else to wear and now it’s all patched up. So,  _ uh _ . Thank you, or whatever.”

Since the slit in the cloth was about ten centimeters long, Luz used that horizontal line to sew it by knitting a hedgehog playing on a field with flowers. Then she remembers when Eda’s shirts were torn, Luz used to make patterns with the threads to fix them for her. Eda would always say that she liked them better when Luz fixed them than when they were new, and that never failed to make her smile. Boscha, in a way, reminds her a bit of Eda – Luz can see in both of them the stoic, bad girl personality, and she thinks Boscha, like Eda, also has a soft spot underneath that she doesn’t share with anyone. Or that's the feeling Luz got when she saw her reaction to the trousers. With how pretty Boscha is, this cute design suits her, Luz thinks – it shows a tender side and not only the rude and imprudent that everyone can see. Luz doesn’t feel as uncomfortable with Boscha as she would’ve expected. Something inside Luz wonders if Amity is a close friend to her.

“Thank you so much for saving me from that guy before,” Luz thanks her again, happy to return the favor.

Boscha huffs at her and folds her pants over her lap.

“I was just trying to avoid another massacre,” she says, looking at her nails with a distracted, almost disinterested gesture. “I heard he called you ‘witch’ and last time you almost murdered the last person who used that tone with you.”

She taps softly with her finger on the cheek with a mischievous grin, and Luz opens her eyes wide.  _ Ah, I think I understand now what the Band-Aid was doing on Amity Blight's cheek this morning. So she really has a temper _ , Luz thinks to herself, making her a little glad to keep discovering things about Amity.

“You’re weird today, Blight.” She says, staring at her with a thoughtful look on her face. “I don’t actually dislike you too much today. You should really try to cool down the expressive and cheerful side though, that’s embarrassing.”

Luz she bites her lip. Gee, she seems to be acting like Luz again and not like Amity. But thank goodness Boscha is not like the twins, and more than suspicious she seems uninterested as to why she’s different today. From what she has said, Amity Blight seems like she's a quiet person and doesn't really show her emotions. Luz wonders if, in another world where this was more than just a dream and she could really meet her, if Luz could make Amity voice her feelings more.

Meanwhile, she gets the sense that Boscha might be the controlling friend of every popular group of friends. While she only met her a while ago, Luz doesn’t dislike Boscha either, she also enjoyed sharing this moment with her here in this room beyond the kitchens. Besides, she's made Luz learn something new from Amity that she didn't know, and for some reason that fills her with joy. This experience is, no doubt, one of the most treasured memories Luz’s bringing from her day in Hexside City.

* * *

The yellow line train back home is almost empty. With the gentle rocking on the rails and the voices of some of the few passengers who are with her muffled in the distance, Luz leans on one of the mechanical doors of the train and watches Hexside City, the dazzling and impressive night scenery passing before her eyes.

Now that she sees it from afar and her mind flies over the moments she’s lived in it today, a thought pops up between one memory and another. It's not until now that Luz realizes that Hexside is full of a lot of smells. The twenty-four hour shops that are actually open to the public all day long, the chains of witches’ restaurants with their hundreds of delicious smells, the people who're constantly around with different looks, the parks full of nature and demons all around, the areas under construction with their heavy magical machinery and their characteristic noises, the train station at night with that fresh smell of night city, the inside of the train with the desire to get home that all humans and witches share... Every ten steps the smells change. Until today, Luz hadn't realized that when a lot of people get together they make spectacular concentrations of smells, and also beautiful sceneries. 

Through the glass, Hexside, full of life even at night, greets her with its shimmering lights. And each and every one of those window lights that pass her by is a porthole to the life of people that live in this city. Luz’s eyes get blurry as she looks at the countless buildings lined up to the ends of the world, like overwhelming saws of unquestionable presence. Her heart beats with tired excitement, overflowing with all the magic that shines before her eyes.

...and Amity Blight is one of the people who live in this city. Luz reaches out to the glass window of the train, to her face, that shows her an unreadable glance in those sharp golden eyes. Luz may have gone through some troubled moments, but she has to admit that meeting this girl has been a really great experience. With the back of her hand, Luz gently touches the glass where the contour of her beautiful face is reflected, to which she’s already getting used to. Her pupils shine with a feeling Luz wouldn't know how to describe, and her chest beats inconsistently. The way her ears are pointy like a real witch, how her eyebrows wrinkle when she frowns, how the city lights draw cryptic, golden glimpses from her big eyes, and the soft way her mouth bends into a tender smile, as if it weren't a gesture she often makes. Luz’s starting to feel a kind of intimacy with her body, a sort of bond with this girl. A connection, as if she was a partner who fought with her through the battle of this very tiring day. Like someone Luz deeply knows, though she’d never seen her before today. As if a part of Luz was at home being with her, being part of her. That familiar feeling swirls in her chest, overwhelming her. And she stares at her face again, where her secretive eyes look back at Luz like someone who's found something they've been looking for a really long time. So close, so real. But still...

“This is the most realistic dream I've ever had in my life,” Luz mumbles, still with her hand leaning against the window. After all, this is just a dream.

When she gets home, Luz lies down again in the bed where she woke up this morning. Or rather, where she fell from this morning.

Tomorrow she’ll tell Willow and Gus all about this adventure. ‘Listen to this crazy dream I've had!’ Luz would tell them, and Gus would look at her with curiosity while Willow would encourage her to keep talking. Then, Luz would tell them every single detail she remembers, and promise them that someday they’ll come to Hexside City and she’ll take them to eat those delightful pancakes. 

Glancing around the room, with all the drawings and books everywhere, Luz thinks again of the astonishing level of realism this dream has. And, for the first time during the whole day – well, apart from that time at the restaurant when she was very stressed – Luz thinks about how she can wake up. She guesses, if she falls asleep in the dream, she’ll wake up in her real life tomorrow.  _ Yes, that makes sense. _ But Luz doesn’t want to go to sleep yet, she doesn’t want to say goodbye so soon to this wonderful world. Her heart's still full of excitement with all the things that have happened since this morning.

Luz lies on her back in bed and starts playing with Amity Blight's phone.  _ Oh, she has a diary _ , Luz thinks to herself as she taps the app, curious. What kind of things would a quiet student at Hexside City write?

<<7/9 Dinner at a Blight mansion with Em and Ed>>

<<6/9 Cinema with Skara>>

<<31/8 Architectural observation of a planetarium>>

<<25/8 Payment day!>>

So organized. Luz can't help but feel a bit of admiration as she reads the titles of each entry and she scrolls down, from most to least recent. From dining in restaurants to planetariums, visits to museums, trips with Emira and Edric, school festivals, concerts, summer vacations with her parents... This girl has a very enjoyable life, full of great memories. Luz feels a pinch of jealousy, she wishes she could also get out of Bonesborough and live adventures, go to planetariums, or travel with Eda and King somewhere.

Then she taps the gallery app and the screen fills with special moments from Amity's life. Luz jumps from one to another, trying to see them all, picturing what it would be like to have lived those moments like her and how they must’ve felt like. Most of the photos are of landscapes and buildings – it makes sense, considering that this girl loves architecture.  _ She probably took these photos so she could draw them later _ , Luz thinks. Followed secondly are those where Edric and Emira show up. The two of them posing with a bunch of dresses, Emira with a half-smile and Edric with a cheerful expression; both of them asleep resting their heads on each other on a train; a photo of the three of their wrists with matching bracelets, a picture of Emira and Edric trying wigs with short hair, another of them walking through a park in autumn, a photo of Emira asleep in what looks like a hotel with a marker-painted face and the next photo of Edric running with an awake and very angry Emira in the background, etc.

Luz keeps passing through the photos and finds more of that style, a mix between beautiful landscapes and photos of her family where she barely ever appears.  _ Amity seems like the kind of girl who does things for others rather than being the center of attention herself _ , Luz thinks to herself. She keeps scrolling through the pictures. 

A restaurant with a ‘grand opening’ banner, the way home from school, a black cat crossing the street, a smoothie in a cafeteria with chic atmosphere, buildings bathed in the light of the sunset, the figure of her siblings’ backs as an airplane passes through the sky, and so on. They look pretty close, despite the teasing.

“Life in Hexside City is amazing,” Luz whispers to herself and yawns. 

She knows she should be sleeping by now, but she keeps scrolling through the pics. She wants to absorb as much as she can about Amity, about this life, this dream, before she has to leave it forever. Then Luz sees a picture that makes her wake up from her almost slumber state.

“It's Boscha!”

The shot is of Boscha from behind. She's wiping the windows of the restaurant with bright sunlight reflected on the glass. Luz gets the feeling it's a photo taken in secret.  _ So Amity does those things too, huh? _ She thinks, finding the idea funny. Luz scrolls to the next photo with Boscha, who seems to have noticed that he was being photographed, and looks at the camera with a snarky smile and making a peace sign with her hand.

_ Wait. _

_ Amity likes Boscha! _

Luz thinks unconsciously. She had no idea that Amity liked girls! But from the pictures and the way she's treated her today, she gets the feeling it's an unrequited love. Luz feels a little sorry for Amity, she's very pretty and she's probably a great person. But Boscha doesn’t seem like she feels the same way, they don’t even go to the same high school so they probably don’t see each other that often. With Boscha's self-centred and strong nature, she probably hasn't even noticed that Amity feels something towards her. A part of Luz wishes she could do something for Amity, to make her feel good.

Luz straightens up a bit and adds a new entry in the diary app. She starts to describe everything that happened to her today – how she got lost on her way to school, but all the amazing things she saw on the way; the lunch break with Emira and Edric, the cafeteria with them later, were they had those delicious pancakes; when she was late for work, but in the end nothing too bad happened. And,  _ well _ , all the times she screwed up at the restaurant and made a mistake with the orders and serving the food ( _ I still think it wasn't entirely my fault! _ ), and how she ended up getting along better with Boscha at the end of the day. Luz is also writing how they got back together from work to the station. She describes it all with many details, so Amity will be happy to read it.

Luz can't help but feel proud of herself for how nicely written everything is and how hard she’s worked today, now that she’s thinking about it. She’s sure that, if Amity reads this at some point, maybe in another dream, she'll feel proud too. That thought makes Luz happy. When she finally finishes the entry, she yawns again. Then…

**“Who are you?”**

For some reason, Luz has remembered those big dark letters that were written all over her literature notebook; with those unknown and abrupt strokes, as if the person who wrote them was kinda nervous, big letters filling the whole page. The image of Amity Blight with Luz’s body and writing those words sitting on her bed in her room in Bonesborough before going to bed comes to her mind for some reason. It's a strange idea, but considering everything that's happened to her today, it even makes some sense. Still, Luz thought this was a dream… Well, whatever, she’s too sleepy now to think about it. She’ll give it another thought tomorrow. But first, Luz gets the black marker that's on the desk and writes in the palm of her hand in large letters.

**“Luz.”**

She yawns again. Her eyelids feel heavy. ‘Please, let's go to sleep’, they seem to say, and with the day she’s had, Luz’s not surprised she’s this tired. The restaurant has been a torture until she had met Boscha, but actually, the rest of the day has been a blast, and meeting Emira and Edric has also been nice. She turns off the lights and lies on the bed, looking out the window, at the city that extends beyond where her tired eyes reach, as she notices her mind turning off and blank more each passing second. Today has been a truly unforgettable day, so vivid and colorful as if she’d been bathed in rainbow light. The world around her was shining so brightly with its own light, without any need for her to put a soundtrack in the background like she’s used to do back home.

And while Luz pictures, smiling, the astonished face that Amity Blight will make when she sees the message she left on her hand, she finally falls into Morpheus' arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, Amity will try to make sense of the mess Luz left behind!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amity deals with the mess Luz left behind in her life, and Luz starts noticing that things are way too off.

“What's this?”

The alarm on her phone wakes Amity up early in the morning and she opens her eyes with laziness, still with the last traces of a dream in her mind that’s already beginning to fade away. The first thing she sees when she focuses her gaze is something dark that she doesn’t recognize on her hand, that rests on the pillow next to her head. Amity sits up, still drowsy, looking at her hand; she can't help but ask herself the question out loud, stunned by the childish and somewhat blurred strokes of the letters resting in her palm.

**"Luz."**

_ When did I write this...? What does "Luz" mean? _

Her mind, still wrapped in the midst of the dream she just woke up from, tries to revolve around these questions and look for a logical reason, but finds nothing but a haven of mystery that lies between her temples. The morning light enters through the window and is reflected in the black ink, while some birds sing happily, as morning arrives.

As Amity lowers her eyes, she sees that she’s still wearing her uniform, extremely creased, and her tie, loosely knotted and asymmetrical. She frowns.  _ Did I go to bed yesterday with it on? _ Her head spins even more, thinking that maybe she ended up exhausted yesterday and fell asleep straight away. For some reason, Amity knows that's not right, before she goes to sleep she always leaves the uniform properly on for the next morning and leaves the room tidy, not like the mess it is now. There's no way she’s forgotten something like that, Amity’s not like this.

“What does all this mean...?”

She whispers to herself. But no matter how intrigued she is, Amity still has to go to school and she doesn’t want to be late or keep Emira and Edric waiting, so she shakes her head and gets up, taking out of her mind everything that doesn't fit and hiding it in a corner where it doesn't bother her.

After getting up, Amity goes to the bathroom and tries with all her might to make the uniform fairly presentable, which is more difficult than it seems because she has literally slept in it and it is a mess. Amity pictures Emira's disapproving face and sighs. She’s also looking for her orange hair tie, which she wears every day as a ponytail to keep her hair out of her face and which she’s had for a long time now, and she finds it resting neatly on the desk. It seems like Amity didn't have it on her yesterday, and that's also really weird because she practically can't leave the house without wearing it –  _ really, what happened to me last night?  _ Her reflection in the mirror gives her a tired look, and she yawns. Surely it doesn't matter that much. Amity opens the door and goes to the living room where her father is already having breakfast. She looks around and she can't find her mother, so she guesses she's already gone to work.

Amity sits next to her father, a slender, pale man, with brown hair brushing his shoulders. He used to be interested in politics, but recently he left it so that he could devote himself full-time to his coven. When Amity sits down, he gives her a side look. Amity returns it.

“Up in time today, Amity?”

His smile doesn't reach his eyes, an intense golden. The half smile Amity is giving him back this time is also not entirely honest.  _ What does he mean?  _ She hasn’t overslept in weeks, she’s always as punctual as possible.

“Of course, father.”

She says, adding this comment to the list of things that don't make sense this morning. And, like all the others, Amity pushes it to a corner of her mind where it doesn't trouble her. She could ask him what he means by that, but her father has refocused his attention on the newspaper he’s reading and so she decides to play with her phone while she eats her breakfast feeling distracted and somewhat tired.

Amity makes a mental list, ordering things that don't really fit, like she usually does to look objectively at a problem and find a reasoning or a solution. Amity can't be comfortable knowing that there are things out of place in her life. 

For some reason she ignores, she must have come home exhausted yesterday because she fell asleep in her uniform and didn't fold it like every night. She wasn't wearing her hair tie either, she has a lot of unanswered messages from Emira from yesterday, and when she checked her wallet she found quite a bit less money than she should have. But the weirdest thing of all is that Amity can't remember what happened yesterday.

She narrows her eyes, wondering, trying to remember something that makes sense of this messy puzzle of meaningless clues, but she finds nothing. Amity feels as if her mind is torn in two by a massive crater that separates her from all the memories of yesterday. Frustration swirls in her chest.  _ Ugh, it's useless, I can't remember anything.  _ Then a brilliant idea crosses her mind – check the diary she writes on her phone. If something important happened yesterday, there's no way Amity wouldn't write about it.  _ Yes _ , she tells herself.  _ What happened yesterday has to be written there _ . Satisfied that she was going to solve this mystery soon, Amity taps the phone's diary app.

_ Huh? _

In the most recent post among all the purple entries, a new bright yellow entry stands out, proudly. 

It's from last night at 23:04. Amity looks at it, stunned. She glances at her father, who keeps on having breakfast and reading the newspaper with ease, oblivious to the whirlwind of uncertainty and nerves that slowly sprouts in her daughter. Amity shakes her head and shuffles her options – close the app and pretend nothing of this unusual stuff is happening, or open it and check what happened the day before, no matter how strange everything is turning out. 

Amity opens the entry and starts reading; and at each sentence, the hair of the back of her neck bristles more, and a cold sweat runs up her spine. 

_ I didn't write this, there's no way this is mine. _

**(Thursday 14, 23:04 pm) What a strange dream.**

"This morning I woke up falling out of bed,  _ silly  _ me. After putting on my uniform in the bathroom (the Band-Aid on my face still hurts, don't touch it!) this lady that I'm assuming is my mother made breakfast for me, but she left before I could actually talk to her. It was all so good! I like her eyes, but she’s kinda scary. Maybe I should tell her some jokes to cheer her up. Will that put her in a better mood? She looks like she needs it.

Emira sent me a message and she sounded very angry, telling me I was late for class. So scary. It's a good thing Google Maps exists! I was on my way to school as fast as I could, though I did get lost a few times. But what can I say, Hexside City is fantastic! It feels like a non-stop festival! With all those interesting, modern and exciting things it's only natural that I got out of the way a few times, but I managed to get there, which is what counts, right?

When I arrived at class, Emira was so fierce with me. I've never been so scared with so few words. But deep down, I know she really acted like that because she was worried. Weird girl. Edric is quite nice, I had never met witch twins before!

The three of us went to a cafeteria and, while I hesitated a lot, in the end I ordered the biggest pancakes there were, and I'm glad I did! It was like biting a piece of sky, or a cloud! I took a few pictures of it.

They sent me another scary message again, this time it was someone who sounded like my boss? Luckily Ed and Em helped me get to work, this time I didn't get lost on the way. The restaurant was beautiful, but it was a nightmare. So much stress!

After the shift, Boscha offered to walk me to the station. What a gentlewoman! She has a very mean sense of humor, but she laughed at some of my jokes and we had a good time, we didn't stop talking and gossiping all the way! She told me that today she liked to see my more relaxed and less uptight side :) ”

“But,” Amity stutters. “What is this?!”

She cries aloud, her heart pounding up her throat. Amity’s father gives her a strange look.

* * *

“Amity, are you coming to the cafeteria today, again?” Emira looks at Amity in a peculiar way that she doesn’t quite understand, waiting for her answer.

On the high school roof, the warm breeze that signals the coming of spring rocks her hair with a pleasant softness, caressing her cheeks and bringing to her nose the sweet smells of the cherry blossoms that are about to bloom. While Amity should be totally relaxed in this environment, the truth is that she has a strange feeling that lingers in her chest. And the fact that Emira and Edric have been looking at her in a weird way all morning doesn't help. They've been glancing sideways at her the whole time, like waiting for Amity to do or say something. But she has no idea what they're waiting for. She could ask, but it's probably her imagination because of the strange things that went on this morning. Amity decides not to give it any more thought and continue with the day as if nothing were going on.

“Oh, I'm sorry,” Amity answers in a perfectly neutral tone, admiring the buildings beyond. The city sounds are muffled by the voices of the other classmates who chat and laugh on the roof. “I work today.”

Edric gives her a playful smile, leaning over to Amity.

“And can you remember how to get there this time, Mittens?”

“What…?”

Amity says, frown forming on her forehead. Emira smiles, complicit, not lifting her eyes from her food.  _ What does she mean?  _ The question makes its way to her head and she starts all over again trying to find a logical answer, but it seems that nothing this morning is logical.  _ I've been working at the same place since last year and I know the way there by heart, there's no way I could possibly forget. _ Then the strange entry Amity found in her diary pops into her mind. She remembers reading how yesterday Amity supposedly got lost on her way to work, among many other senseless things. Something  _ clicks  _ in her head.

“Ed, was it  _ you  _ who wrote that on my phone?”

Now Amity’s the one who can't help but lean towards him, while faking a neutral tone in her voice.  _ It all fits, it has to be a very elaborate prank. _ They've been waiting all morning to see what Amity’s reaction would be, that explains the sidelong glances. She doesn’t remember letting him have Amity’s phone, but then again, he could have gone through her stuff and taken it when Amity was distracted. It wouldn’t be something new, the twins were always doing stuff like that.

But, for some reason, Amity has a vague feeling, like a hunch, that tells her she’s wrong. But it  _ has  _ to be them. Amity wants to believe that it was them, if not…  _ Ugh, I don't understand anything _ . Her head is spinning.

“Huh?”

“What do you mean, Mittens?”

Edric tilts his head with an innocent face, completely wiping away the playful touch he had before and changing it to an almost confused look, and Emira scowls as she stares at Amity. Clearly neither of them have any idea what she’s talking about. Amity sighs. She’s getting paranoid trying to solve this riddle of which she has more and more pieces that don't belong together. Amity shakes her head and gives them a half-grin.

“Nothing, don't mind me,” she says, standing up and picking up her things following an impulse. “I'm off, I've got stuff to do. See you, guys.”

Amity heads for the exit with quick steps, trying to dismiss the questions that pile up at breathtaking speed in her brain.  _ It's no big deal, _ she tells herself,  _ these are just freaky coincidences, nothing more. _

Amity takes the phone out of the bag and unlocks it. No out-of-place notifications, and there are still two hours left before her shift begins. Which means Amity has time to finish some sketches of an old coven building that she left sketched, while she enjoys a soothing tea and listens to a bit of music. Amity smiles to herself.  _ Yes, it doesn't matter. _

Before she leaves the roof, when the cold metal door rests in the palm of her hand, Amity hears Emira speak.

"She looks normal today," she says.

A chill runs up Amity’s back to the tip of her pointy ears, she closes the door behind her.

* * *

Amity adjusts the black bow tie on the collar of her shirt, not too tight but not too loose either. 

She looks at her figure in the mirror of the restaurant dressing room, with the black and white uniform adjusting to the curves of her body as usual, comfortable yet formal. As she gathers her hair in a high ponytail, careful to push her hair out of her face, Amity sees her golden eyes shimmering with determination in her reflection. Today she’s going to give it all working, she’s going to make this bizarre day end well.

After arriving home and relaxing, focused on her drawings, Amity got rid of the uneasy feeling she had in the morning. She hadn't given it any more thought, and she had put all the missing parts away in a drawer in her mind, labeled ‘ _ too busy to think about this now _ ’. And that's how Amity thought she’d end the day, until...

“Is… is there something wrong?”

Just as she closes the fine dressing room door, three employees she works with in the restaurant come up to Amity with pursed lips and narrowed eyes, upset. 

One is a girl who is usually kind to her, a brunette with wavy chestnut hair outlining her figure and dark almond eyes. Another is a girl Amity’s never spoken to and who's a little older than her, but whenever Amity sees her, she's smiling, her unkempt blonde head falling down her shoulders. And the other is a dark-skinned boy who has only been working here for a short time, Amity thinks he's on a temporary contract or something, but he's already made friends with practically all the staff. Except for Amity, of course. Not that he hasn't tried, but she doesn’t need any more friends. Though Amity’s got the feeling that he had to be a kind person.

Yet all three are standing in front of her with angry faces. One crossing her arms, another with her hands resting on her hips, and the boy simply fulminating her with his gaze, the three of them with outraged and annoyed looks.

Amity swallows. The beating of her heart grows heavier, and she mentally unfolds a range of possible things she may have done wrong. Even so, Amity knows that she’s done nothing bad and that her work is simply satisfactory. So she keeps her face neutral and inaccessible. They start talking to her in a threatening voice.

“Amity, you've passed us by,” the brunette says, approaching one step closer to Amity trying to look intimidating.

“What...?” Amity starts, but she can't finish the question.

“Tell us what happened, come on!” The blonde girl taps the ground with the tip of her foot, demanding an answer.

“I have no idea what you're talking about,” Amity says with a sort of tired voice, raising her hands a little as if she was giving up.  _ Even at work I can't escape hearing odd things _ , Amity thinks to herself. They're probably mistaking her for someone else. Amity steps forward to pass between them and leave. “Sorry, I don't have time for whatever this is.”

Then the boy stands in front of her, cutting Amity off with gleaming green eyes.

“We saw you heading home together yesterday, don't try to deny it!”

Amity freezes, as if an invisible force had glued her feet to the ground, and she slowly raises her sight until his eyes focus on Amity’s again. She feels her pulse speeding up.  _ Huh? Heading home together? Then... _ The picture of the strange entry she found this morning in her diary slips back into her mind. Amity remembers it mentioning that yesterday Boscha walked her to the station after work, but she didn't think that...

“So... Yesterday Boscha walked me home?”

Amity says with a string of voice, as if the question wasn't really meant for them but for herself, a warm blush spreading across her cheeks.  _ Does that mean the diary entry was true? Did everything it says really happen?  _

Her head spins and she feels dizzy, thousands of new questions crashing her senses like a tsunami. The boy seems to notice Amity’s confusion and his expression relaxes, changing his anger into discomfort, as if her reaction was not at all what he expected. The girl with the almond eyes, however, shoves him away rather abruptly and stands in front of Amity.

“Don't play dumb, what happened next?”

_ What happened next...? _ Amity desperately tries to seek that memory in her mind, but she runs into the most absolute nothing. 

She tries to imagine the scene – Boscha, without the waitress’ uniform but with her usual stylish clothes, chatting openly and friendly with Amity on the way home on a lantern-lit road. With a darkened sky dotted with stars lighting up the landscape, Boscha's contagious, chatty attitude ends up making Amity feel content around her, while her chest shudders pleasantly with the fluttering of butterflies flying in her stomach.

_ Yesterday Boscha walked me home.  _ Amity feels her heart beating shaken, echoing in her ears and sucking in all the other sounds.  _ But what happened next? _ Her face is burning.

“Truth is… I don't remember anything,” Amity admits, dodging their glances.

“Are you kidding?”

The three of them frown, and Amity could swear she’s seen their eyes light up in flames. They take another step closer, and this time Amity finds herself forced to back up one, almost gluing her back to the fine dressing room door. She considers the option of turning and entering, but running away would solve nothing.  _ But what can I tell them for them to believe me? It's not like I actually remember what happened yesterday. _

At dizzying speed, ideas intertwine and connect in her mind, building a theory and ordering events. Apparently, and unless all this is an extremely elaborate prank, what it says in her diary entry is true. Amity makes a mental note to reread carefully what it says, she doesn’t want to find any more surprises. This means that yesterday she acted totally out of herself, almost as if Amity was someone else. She can't talk about this with anyone, not even Emira and Edric.  _ They would think I'm crazy _ , Amity thinks to herself.  _ Even I think I'm crazy. _

Which brings her to the three employees standing in front of her, still looking at her accusatory and waiting for an answer Amity can't give them. She guesses that these two girls and the boy have a crush on Boscha, and as yesterday they apparently came home together, they came for explanations.  _ That's stupid. _

“Listen. I don't know what you want to hear, but I have nothing to say to you,” Amity shakes her head, gaining her composure and mask of seriousness back. “And I don't understand why you're acting like this. While I understand that you may be jealous, cornering anyone related to Boscha this accusatory is not a good way to deal with your feelings. Least of all getting Boscha to notice you.”

Amity says, holding their gaze. Impassive. And just when it looked like they were going to start again with the accusations, a voice sounded through the entrance. They all stiffen.

“Sup losers, the  _ star  _ is back!”

The figure of Boscha, cut out by the light of the street that slips through the door, comes in with a snaky smile and greets them with her hand. Unconsciously, Amity holds the air in her lungs, watching as she walks down the corridor in front of them.

“Good morning, girls! And Brian!” Boscha says, winking at the boy, who immediately blushes.

“Hello Boscha!”

The two girls reply, erasing all traces of anger from their faces, with now sparkling eyes. Before the dazzling presence that radiates the young girl, all an idol in their restaurant, for an instant they forgot the discussion that they were having just a few seconds ago. As if the arrival of the witch had flooded the place with a different aura. Then Boscha turns and looks at Amity with a smile.

“Let's give it all today again. Right, Amity?”

She tells her with such a playful tone that Amity can almost feel the little heart emoji at the end of her sentence. Then she winks at her before vanishing through the door. Amity feels the warmth of her chest spread across her cheeks.

“What does all this mean, Amity!”

The once again angry voices of the three workers, with a terrifying echo as if they came from the depths of the Earth, bring Amity back to reality. Like a whirlwind, her mind starts to spin again. There's no way she can doubt that what she put in the journal entry is true, but that triggers an avalanche of unanswered questions to each other, more shocking, and she feels like she’s getting sicker. _ What's going on? Why don't I remember anything about what happened? What crazy things did I do yesterday without realizing it? What other things that aren't written in the note happened? _

_ And what does "Luz" mean? _

* * *

Beyond the walls of her room, the birds peep with their usual vitality early in the morning. 

Singing sweet, melodic songs, they almost seem to understand the beauty of their lullabies, and play with each other to create nature's most beautiful sounds. Soft, delicate notes dance in the whirlpools of the light morning breeze, entering through her semi-open window along with the playful rays of light that are lost in the tangles of her hair. The characteristic pristine light of the first moments of dawn bathes her room and floods her senses, even dormant, slumber. The subtle rustling of the oak leaves surrounding the coven mixes in her ears with the peaceful sound of her breath, and she cuddles the pillow. Warm.  _ Soft _ .

Luz half-opens her eyes and again finds black shapes blurred on her hand. She sits up, frowning.  _ Again? _

The letters, written with the black marker that rests on the night table next to her bed, stretch wide and inquire from the palm of her hand to the height of her elbow.

**Luz?? What are you? Who are you??**

Luz blinks and rubs her eyes with her free hand, but then she focuses her gaze again the letters are still there. Questioning, demanding. A chill spreads up her back to the base of her neck. _ I know I didn't write that, there's no way! And that's not my handwriting _ ! It's as if someone, somebody else, had come into her room and written that in her skin.  _ But why? _

Luz gets up and looks around, everything seems to be in order in her room. The books are still on the desk, the clothes are still scattered all over the closet, and the shelf has the same amount of dust as ever. It doesn't look like anything was stolen, and Luz doesn’t think anyone came in either because Eda would've noticed, for sure.  _ Ugh, I don't get it. Who's leaving me messages? And what do they mean? _

“What do you have written there?”

King, leaning against the door frame, makes Luz wince.

“Gosh, King!” She exclaims, holding a scream, her heart beating in her throat. “Knock before you come in!”

“Okay, okay,” she says, rolling his eyes with a dull face. “But what does it say?”

He points at Luz’s arm, and she immediately hides it behind her back.

“Nothing!” She shakes her head with an innocent smile. “Just a few things I didn't want to forget in the morning, that's all.”

“Why didn't you write it down on paper? Or on your phone? Is that a common human thing?”

King frowns, as if to say ‘it's the most obvious thing in the world’, and internally Luz agrees with him. She changes the weight from one leg to another, pondering her possible answers.

“Hum...” Luz scratches the back of her head, still smiling. “It's because the arm was the closest thing I got, I guess.”

“Okay, you weirdo,” King shrugs his tiny shoulders, deciding it doesn't really matter. “Anyway, breakfast is ready. Come down fast or I’ll feed my _ tummy tummy _ with your delicious food, too!”

“Okay. Thank you, King!”

Luz says, but King's already locked the door and he's coming down the stairs. She lets out the air through her chipped lips, moving her arm that was hidden behind her back, gazing at the questioning letters again. 

The black ink shining in the contrast of the light. Luz can't tell this to King or Eda, they'll think it's another one of her jokes and they won't take her seriously. And she doesn’t know if she should tell Willow and Gus, they have enough on their plates to deal with the strange things that are happening to Luz lately. Gus will probably find a multidimensional human-related meaning for all of this, and Willow will worry so much that she'll call Luz every hour to check on her. She sighs, squeezing her arm with the other hand, feeling the pulse run under her skin.

Beyond the window, the birds continue to chirp cheerful and carefree, singing songs that brush with a thousand tones and colors the morning of the people of the village.

Luz’s morning, however, is marked with dark strokes of enigmatic black words. And this is a mystery that she has to solve by herself.

* * *

“Good morning,” Luz says in a monotone voice, entering the class.

She yawns, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. Just as she walked through the door, she can feel all the glances of her classmates staring straight at her. Usually some people turn when they see Luz come in to greet her, she gets along well with most of the class – except Mattholomule, the school’s bully, and his group of idiots, but they don't really get along with anyone –, but they've never all looked at her with the weird expressions they have now. 

A couple of guys who are sitting on top of their desks next to the door and who had been chatting look at Luz with their mouths making a perfect circle. A small group of girls closer to the blackboard give her sidelong glances, speaking in a low voice to each other. Other boys, leaning against the wall, look at her expectantly. Some more, sitting far away and failing to see the scene, stretch their necks to also direct their eyes towards Luz. And Willow, who had been speaking with a classmate up until a second ago, looks at her with an indecipherable expression.

Ignoring the awkward situation, Luz walks at a steady pace to her desk by the window, but she can't help but hear the chorus of whispers that surrounds her.

“Yesterday Luz was very cool.”

“Today she seems normal.”

“I'm still amazed at how mature she was.”

“Now I see her in a different light.”

“I didn't know she could be so cold and sharp.”

“But didn't you feel like her personality had changed or something?”

When Luz gets to her seat, she turns the chair around and sits in Willow's direction, crossing her arms over the backrest. From the corner of her eye, Luz catches some fugitive glances that are still stuck on her skin. The girl who was talking to her friend has turned around, giving them privacy, and Luz thanks her in her mind. She finds Willow’s green eyes.

“Hey, any idea why everyone is looking at me funny today?”

One of Willow’s usual comfortable smiles is drawn on her face. She starts pulling out books and calmly putting them on the table while she replies to Luz. She follows her movements with her eyes, curious.

“Good morning to you too, Luz,” she says, and a blush spreads over Luz’s cheeks cause she came in talking to her very abruptly without even greeting her, but Willow was probably just teasing. The tone of her voice is as calm as ever. ‘ _ Isn't it obvious? _ ’ it seems to say. “Well, it’s only natural after what happened yesterday.”

“Yesterday? What happened yesterday?”

Luz tilts her head. She tries to remember, navigating through the mist that has settled in her mind and that lately covers her memories. At this point it hardly surprises her that she can't remember what she did the day before, but Luz would swear it was a normal day like any other. Still, she can't help but feel a cold chill running down her back like an ice claw. She unconsciously squeezes her arm, hidden between the back of the chair and her body. Despite having wiped them out after she got out of bed, Luz’s skin still holds the ghost of ink letters.

“Well, you know,” Willow nods vehemently, some locks of hair contouring her face. “What happened at drawing class.”

“What happened at drawing class?” Luz pretends to be relaxed, but she can almost taste the fear in her voice. She just hopes her friend doesn't notice.

“With Mattholomule, don't you remember?”

Willow frowns so strongly that small, worried creases grow between her eyebrows. Hearing that makes Luz stop hearing the little sounds and whispers that wrap them up in class, and the whole world is compressed into a single thought.  _ But… what stupid thing have I done now!? _ She asks herself, clenching her fists to lock up the frustration she feels. Her friend's green eyes glow with both strangeness and worry. Luz shakes her head.

“You really don't remember?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Next saturday, Luz & Amity will have to work together to make both of their lives work out!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is one of my favourite chapters before the angst comes :P  
> Luz and Amity learn how to work together (and hopefully, try to get along!).

Gus waits for them to have lunch sitting on the stone benches in the farthest part of the courtyard. 

They like this place especially because it's the spot of the school that has the best views, considering that in this city there isn't much to see. Luz extends the line of sight to the houses that look teeny tiny down there. The lake Bonesborough bathes the landscape with its soft blue shades, reflecting the sky as if instead of water there was a huge mirror in the middle of the village. Above them, some swallows hover happily. And Luz’s thoughts fly with them.

At least until Gus starts talking, with a mocking tone coloring his words that brings her back to real life.

“Are you okay today, Luz?”

“Not you too, please,” Luz implores, clasping her hands together with a gesture of prayer. She’s quite tired of not knowing what's going on in her own life.  _ It would be nice if people would stop reminding me! _

Gus, who had expected Luz to brush it off without further fuss as she normally would, purses his lips and looks at Willow, who has been silent since they have arrived.

“Is something wrong?” He asks, the worry in his voice moves Luz for a second.

“Luz doesn't seem to remember about yesterday,” Willow says with a sigh, sitting beside her, as if everything that is happening weighs as much on her as it weighs on Luz.

“Again?” Gus mocks.

Forgetting all the affection of a moment ago, Luz gives the boy a tired look. Gus ignores her and goes on talking nonchalantly, nibbling on his tuna sandwich.

“I still think it's possible that – “

“If you talk about parallel universes again,” Luz’s voice sounds strangely threatening, even though it's a promise she knows she won't keep. “I'll send you to the lake with one spell.”

“Whoa, you don't have to be so harsh,” Gus raises his hands in a sign of peace with his dark eyes wide open. He shrugs his shoulders. “I'm just saying it's a possibility. Do you have a better idea?”

“No,” Luz admits, releasing the air from her lungs and deflating like a balloon. She crosses both legs on the seat and plays with her shoelaces. _ There has to be a logical explanation _ , she thinks to herself. Maybe I should go to Eda? Her head is a vortex of nonsense and anxiety, and the letters that dwelled in her skin this morning come at her again. _ ‘Who are you?’ _

“Leave her alone, Gus,” Willow, as nice as ever, decides to give her a hand. “There must be another reason why she doesn't remember what happened.”

“Maybe it was so strong for her that she entered a shocked state,” he says. “It would've happened to me.”

Gus brings his hands to his head and pretends there's an explosion in it, making funny noises with his mouth. Willow doesn't smile this time, her green eyes glow oddly. Both turn their attention to Luz. She groans.

“Can anyone please tell me what happened yesterday?!” Finally, Luz asks the question that has been twisting her heart since she arrived at class this morning.

“Sorry,” Willow gives her a low-key look with an apologetic smile, and starts talking. “So, it was yesterday during the artistic drawing period, when we were practicing sketches of dead nature.”

“You two were lucky, you ended up in the same group,” Gus crosses his arms with an angry face as if he were five years old. “I had to be alone.”

“Anyway,” Willow goes on, making deaf ears to Gus' interruption. “Bump told us we had to draw a vase and some apples that were placed on a desk in the middle of class.”

“A very ugly drawing, by the way,” Gus talks again. Luz rolls her eyes, but the boy doesn't seem to notice, or maybe he ignores her.

“When Bump walked out of the classroom and left us alone,” Willow glances sidelong at Gus, as if making sure he doesn't interrupt the story any more, and then focuses her gaze back on Luz. “You turned your desk in the opposite direction to the vase and started to draw the landscape of the village that's beyond the window.”

“Truth is, it was really great!” Gus nearly jumps, his dark eyes glowing like stars. “When did you learn to draw like that, huh?”

“It was very nice, indeed,” Willow says, nodding slightly. Her expression grows a little gloomier. “But then Mattholomule and his friends started with their usual nonsense.”

“You know they're idiots,” Gus shakes his head in frustration. Luz can still remember his white knuckles as he grabbed the bike the other day. “They were whispering, but too loud to be a whisper. Obviously they wanted you to hear about it.  _ Jerks _ .”

“What did they say?” Luz asks, and she almost doesn’t want to hear the answer. Willow sits back in her seat, uncomfortable.

“The usual,” she shrugs. Somehow, Luz feels that she doesn't want her to ask any more questions and that makes her more worried. “... the municipal elections and stuff.”

“They said things like, ‘Lilith can be a good mayoress, but she's very scary’,” Gus explains, imitating Mattholomule and his bunch of idiots with silly voices and making the gesture of quotation marks in the air with his fingers. “’She sure takes advantage of being mayor and steals all the money that comes her way’, ‘some people in this class live off that stolen money’, ‘oh, that's right, Luz was abandoned when she was little’, and that kind of bullshit.”

When Gus’ voice fades, Luz finds herself looking at the ground. That anxiety that had climbed up her back this morning like a frozen claw has now spread to her very heart and it’s clutching it with an icy, deadly grip. 

It wasn't out of the blue for Mattholomule and his bunch of idiots to mess with Luz. They picked on most people in the class, sure, so she’s no exception. And after seeing them show up at the ritual of the First Witches' Coven, Luz knew they wouldn't stay quiet.  _ Still…  _

Luz clenches her fists hard. If she wanted to, she could face them all and shut their mouths, but Eda raised her better than that. Luz can't disappoint her like this, getting into fights. Luz pictures the smiles of self-sufficiency growing through their faces with each teasing, their pride getting bigger with each sarcasm they give out, and she gets nauseous. At least, Luz thinks to herself as her only comfort, I alone have to put up with this. At least Eda knows nothing about this.

“Luz...”

Luz feels Willow's hand resting on hers.  _ Crap, I zoned out again.  _ She raises her head and finds a pair of sympathetic eyes fixed on her. Faking an indifferent voice, Luz dares to ask.

“And what did _ I  _ do?”

Willow crosses an indecipherable look with Gus, pursing her lips. Then she looks at Luz again, taking her hand away and resting it on her lap with her usual aura of serenity. Luz’s heart races.

“You asked me if they were talking about you,” she says. “I told you I thought so, I wasn't going to lie to you.”

“And then you turned around, you kicked the table so hard that it threw the vase to the floor and broke it, and the class went completely silent!”

Gus suddenly shouts, totally breaking the atmosphere of mystery and heaviness that had settled into their conversation. Luz blinks once, twice.  _ What? _ She knows that sometimes she can be a brute, she admits it. And that she’s loud and it's hard for her to keep her emotions down. But Luz’s never broken anything in class or stood up to anyone in the middle of school, let alone Mattholomule! She guesses she looks shocked, because Willow looks at her and nods, as if to say,  _ ‘I know, I couldn't believe it either’ _ .

“And then what?” Luz dares to ask, and she’s struck by a wave of thrill – more, if possible – when she sees a grin climbing up Gus' face.

“Then you stood in front of Mattholomule's table with a smile,” Willow continues, focusing her gaze beyond Gus and Luz, as if reliving what had happened. Luz tries to imagine the scene in her mind too. “And you started to tell him about the big role that the institution of the city council has in witchling towns, and how thanks to the work of the mayoress, under the direct command of Emperor Belos, witches like his parents could have a job that would sustain them and a Coven that would welcome them.”

Luz frowns, wrinkling her eyebrows. She thought she would've given him a bunch of barbaric things, not a lecture on how critical the witches’ council is. In fact, she can't picture herself defending Lilith’s position in any context. This is getting more and more weird.

“You talked about a lot of government and covens business that I had no idea what you were saying, and I'm sure no one in the class understood a word either,” Gus admits, dropping his head a little, with a funny smile. He raises his fist as a sign of victory. “But you also hauled that nitwit over the coals!”

_ Government business, me? I don't know anything about that!  _ The air becomes heavy in Luz’s lungs.

“If I remember right,” Willow goes on, doing her best to remember Luz’s words with a focused expression. “You said something down the lines of ‘projecting the frustration you feel about your own life towards another person and focusing your efforts on making life impossible for them is not only a reflection that you are using a crappy defense mechanism that can only end up plunging you deeper into your own misery, but it also shows what a despicable person you really are and how sad your reality is. While you're too obsessed with sinking others, you don't realize that it's really your own life that's slipping out of your hands, and if you keep doing that you'll be the one who's a Nobody. I don't know who has it worse, Mattholomule’. More or less that’s what you said.”

“And then you broke his dead nature drawing right under his nose!”

Gus shouts, victorious, almost getting up from his seat in excitement. Willow smiles warmly. Luz’s mouth opens wide.  _ Did I say that?  _ She pictures herself saying those words in an icy voice in front of a speechless Mattholomule, and she gets the feeling that it's not her at all. A knot in her throat traps the air that tries to come out.

“We all fell silent,” Willow adds. “Mattholomule the more so.”

“It was amazing!”

The voices of her friends sound distant, muffled, as if a thick cloud were blocking Luz’s ears. Ears, sight, senses, everything. Her entangled thoughts escape through her fingers, desperate to put together a consistent idea within the confusion. Luz’s heart bursts, roars, erupts. Violent as a volcano. But instead of lava, a single truth is heard in the drizzle inside her and slips through her veins leaving a frozen trace.

“That can't be me.”

* * *

At the end of the school day, Luz heads home at a speed that is enviable, no natural disaster strong enough to stop her.  _ Pale _ . The windows bring her reflection back down the street and she is pale, as if she had seen a ghost. Or, perhaps, Luz is the ghost. At this point any thought is valid in her panicked mind.

When she gets home, Luz opens the front door with trembling hands and passes by King and Eda, who drink tea and chat happily in the living room. She climbs the steps two by two, her heart beating louder in her ears and suffocating all the other sounds. In her head, a single thought extends to the edges where her mind meets the absolute nothing, where she has locked up yesterday's memories.  _ Who are you?  _ Those dark letters that have weighed on Luz all day like a steel necklace around her neck, drowning her more and more in insecurity.

She closes the door of the room with a loud thud, praying internally that neither Eda nor King will come up. With trembling hands, and her orange bracelet pressed on her wrist against her pulse point, Luz frantically sifts through the papers on the desk until she finds it. 

Her notebook of classical literature.

A weak, shaky sigh escapes her lips, suddenly too dry. She closes and opens her fists several times, trying to get rid of these nerves that keep pouring out. The sticker of a corgi dog looks back at her from the notebook, expectant, resting on the table waiting to be opened. Waiting for someone to read again the black ink strokes it keeps within its clean pages. Guided by an impulse, Luz opens it.

Notes. Notes.  _ Notes _ . Luz turns one page and another in a hurry, not caring if she bends the corners, until she finds it and she stops dead. The page with the text " **Who are you?** " is still there. The delicate but sharp handwriting, nervous, hasn't changed at all. Luz takes a breath, as if waiting for it to give her some strength, and she turns the page.

A sudden cold shiver shakes her body like lightning, from the tip of her feet to the last hair on her head. Ruthlessly, stuffing all the voids of Luz’s body with an ancient, merciless emotion.  _ Fear _ .

The following page, and the next, and the next, are full of things written in the same handwriting. Delicate, almost cursive, but impatient, alarmed. In the middle, the words " **Luz Noceda** " appear rather large, and they’re surrounded by endless comments about her personal life, full of question marks and doodles of village buildings, like the entrance to the coven building or the houses that border the lake.

**Last year of high school, Class 3.**

**Gus (Boy. Friend. Seems like a nice person, but somewhat simple. He likes multidimensional theories and humans. He does have good grades. He would get along well with Edric).**

**Willow (Girl. Friend. She's nice. Kind and affectionate but excessively good person. Top of her plants class. Very mature.).**

**She lives with Eda the ‘Owl Lady’ (Witch. She's tough but she loves them. Braided strings?) and her demon pet King (He likes cookies and power. He's too enthusiastic and noisy. He wears a collar all the time).**

**A town lost in the middle of nowhere, Bonesborough. Bad internet connection. There are no cafes, bars, cinemas, theatres or bowling alleys. What do people do for fun?**

**The mayoress has something to do with her. Lilith. She's are scary but powerful.**

**Is she part of a coven?**

**Where are her parents?**

**Camilia?**

**Few friends.**

**Her school is too simple.**

**Writes fanfiction.**

**Azura books!**

Over a pencil drawing of the huge red arch of the coven building, something is written in larger letters and surrounded by a circle.

" **Is this your life?** "

Still with shaky and cold hands, Luz turns the pages and finds more written things. Some scenes start to pop up in her head. Unrelated sights, fragments of something bigger, pieces of a puzzle that she can't sort out. Like someone who has forgotten about a dream when waking up, but suddenly something makes those memories reappear on the memory surface. As if a mist started to vanish from her mind, for the first time in a week.

Luz remembers the Hexside City landscape, the huge skyscrapers caressing the tops of the clouds and mirroring the brightness of the sun in their clear windows, the streets flowing with life and how each moment smelled of something special. She remembers a cafeteria, an absorbing murmur, the leather touch of the menu and the taste of celestial pancakes. Luz remembers an Italian restaurant, the bubbling anxiety in her chest hearing her name over and over again in the mouths of strangers, the smell of pizza and the dim light of the spider lamps. She remembers some girls, some friends, their familiar voices echoing in her ears, her pointy ears. Luz remembers the way back home walking with someone. Luz remembers…

A reflection on the window of a train. A girl. Green hair and golden eyes.

“Is it possible...?” She whispers to herself with a string of voice, so light and weak that it dies as soon as it comes out of her lips. “This would mean that...”

* * *

“If what I'm thinking is true...” the words sound thick in her mouth, refusing to come out. “Is it possible that we really are...?”

Dazed and confused, as soon as Amity got home from high school she locked herself in her room, making sure that her parents are out and that they're not going to check on her. Sitting at her desk, papers and sketches scattered around the table in front of her, all Amity can see now is her phone screen. 

Frenetically she goes by with her index finger one by one the entries of her diary app, eyes wide open and no blinking. In between the neat and simple purple entries that Amity has written about her day-to-day life, there are a handful of other entries of a bright yellow color that she doesn’t recognize, full of smiley faces, narrating with enthusiasm and passion completely opposed to Amity events that her brain can't remember. Amity feels the room shrinking, everything collapsing around her while she can't take her eyes off more and more entries that she finds.

**(Wednesday 3, 23:13 pm) First time at The Knee, discovering lots of beautiful flowers!**

**(Friday 12, 20:32 pm) With the twins at the aquarium (+ secret photos I took of Emira and Edric).**

**(Saturday 20, 21:06 pm) Shopping in the Night Market!**

**(Monday 22, 22:12 pm) Witch History Exam (sorry Amity).**

**(Thursday 25, 19:51 pm) My life in Hexside City part 6.**

**(Friday 3, 23:47 pm) Visiting the Blight’s office!**

Some part of her brain comes to an impossible conclusion.  _ No. No, it can't be.  _ Amity repeats to herself as she wipes the cold sweat from her hands on her pants. _ It has to be something else _ . She tells herself as she pours freezing water on her face in the bathroom sink, fighting the nerves that flutter through her veins like burning lava. It's impossible.  _ It's impossible.  _ The thought runs, bounces, flies, vanishes, fades, and finds Amity again, as she runs her fingers through her hair nervously, looking at her distressed reflection in the mirror.

_ Don't tell me that... _

_ In our dreams, this girl and I... _

* * *

Luz wanders around the room in circles, circles, circles. Spinning as many times as the ideas that swirl in her mind. They tell her that she’s wrong, that it can't be. They tell her that she’s right, that there's no other explanation. That she’s going crazy. That it makes sense. That she should flee, run away, hide. That she should seek someone out and tell them. While Luz just wants to scream.

_ Because if it's true... _

_ While I dream, that girl and I... _

The reflection shows her sharp golden eyes.

The dark brown of her round irises is scattered in the mirror.

Her thoughts spin, stir, crash, shatter and meet again. In the hurricane of her life, only one idea remains standing, stable, impassive.

_ This girl and I are exchanging each other's bodies! _

_ The sunrise glowing among the mountains, graceful and warm, full of good news. The rays of light that one by one enlighten the little houses of the village next to the lake, that wake up lazily before calmly starting out a new day devoid of surprises. The melodic morning song of the birds that flutter every day in the window, the silence of noon drowned by the rustle of the wind on the fallen leaves, the relaxing sound of the insect choir at night, the magical jingle of the starlit sky above my head. _

The daybreak bursting out between the skyscrapers, bright and gleaming, full of energy. The rays of light that cast light one by one on the countless windows of each and every one of the thousands of people who live in this vast city. The morning crowd flooding the streets, the neighborhoods, the bars, the parks, the city with life. The hustle and bustle of midday with the tired voices of the people who return home hungry to eat, the smell of life and hundreds of experiences during the sunset that bathes the high-rise buildings with orange light. The glow of the city at night, the city of stars.

_ No matter how many times we've lived through it, both her and I are fascinated again and again by each and every one of those moments. _

And finally, after the initial panic and insecurity, we both start to understand what's going on. Or at least accept it.

Amity Blight, or Amity, is a high school girl my age who lives in Hexside City. She's a witch, with pointy ears that are way cuter than I would've expected. She has two siblings, Emira and Edric, strict parents, Mr. and Mrs. Blight, and even if it isn't perfect, she has a dreamy life...

_...While Luz Noceda is a country girl. Living with her caretaker Eda and their demon pet King, her life is not exciting other than the evenings she may spend with Willow and Gus or the times she has to help out the First Witches' Coven. _

_ We've learnt that the body change takes place randomly without us being able to intervene, a couple of times a week, and without prior notice. It's triggered when we sleep and the cause, though we've tried our best to find it, is still a mystery. _

It's not like we have a choice at all. And on top of that, the memories of the change of bodies vanish the next day. At first we totally forgot about them, like a dreamer who wakes up and the memories disappear forever. Now, they turn somewhat vague and inaccurate after waking up the next day, leaving me slightly out of place as if I really had doubts about what actually happened, with messy snippets from the previous day.

_ But even though I sometimes don't clearly remember what I did as Luz and it just seems like a dream, I'm convinced that the body change is real. We only have to see the reactions of the people around us, when they say that we act weird and tell us in shock what we did the day before. It's the ultimate proof. _

Thanks to the heavens, from the moment we realized what was happening to us, that we were exchanging bodies, little by little we've gradually managed to remember the dreams more. They were no longer so disrupted, detached, and doubtful as before. Though it's true that I don't remember everything, I know that they aren't just dreams, they've really happened. For example, now, while I am awake, I know that right now, somewhere in Hexside City lives a girl named Amity, and I can describe how her face goes all red when she gets angry or how her eyes wrinkle when she laughs out loud.

__

_ Now I'm completely convinced that there's a girl named Luz, with a chaotic personality that brightens their friends and family’s lives, who lives in a remote village in the middle of nowhere, where a huge, peaceful lake mirrors the sky. The motives and logic of the situation, how is it physically possible that something like this is happening, slip away from me. But, strange as it might seem, deep down in my heart I know that this is true, that this is real and that she exists. _

That's how Amity and I have started to reach each other by leaving out messages on our phones, whether it's in her diary app or my phone’s notes, about the days we changed bodies. We tell each other everything we've done, the relevant things that have taken place, and things like that. So that the other knows what happened before a family member or friend has to tell us. We also try to act like the other, but it's hard to behave the exact opposite of how you usually are. Especially for me, I admit it. Amity is too serious and uptight!

_ Both Luz and I have tried to talk by text or call each other several times, but, oddly enough, none of these things work and we've found it impossible. In the end, it had to be enough just to leave messages, no matter how much I'd like to tell her first-hand what she can and can't do. And since we both know that the most important thing is to keep our lifestyles unharmed, we've started to set rules for each other. _

**< For Amity: Prohibition List, No.1>**

**You’re not allowed to talk about laws, ethics, institutions, politics, society, architecture, witches’ history and any of those extremely intelligent and nerdy things you know. Have a little thought about me, I have no idea about any of that!**

**Don't fight back or stand up against Mattholomule. Trust me, it's not worth it. He's an idiot.**

**Cheer up a bit! I'm not as serious as you are and my friends will notice it, you could use a little joy once in a while. Try to smile! Have you thought about cracking a few jokes?**

**Do not touch my fanfiction! I mean it. I take special pride in them and I treat them with great respect. Don't even think about deleting them. You can read my Azura books though, I know you don’t have the latest one!**

**Under no circumstances can you talk to Lilith.**

**Don't ask about Camilia, please. Especially not Eda.**

**< For Luz: Prohibition List, Version 5>**

**Please, I'd appreciate it if you'd stop wasting my money on stupid things.**

**Learn your way to school and work already, it's not that hard. I've saved in favorites both routes in Google Maps. I'm starting to think it's not that you don't know the way, it's that you get distracted and end up being late...**

**Don't be so buddy-buddy with my parents. I don't know what relationship you had with yours, but for me there's a huge gap between what I share with my parents and what I share with, for example, my friends.**

**Be careful with the accent. I've been living in Hexside City all my life, it's impossible for me to have an accent, remember that.**

**Careful with Emira! She's already started to get suspicious and has an eye on me every time I look at her. She's a good sister when she wants to be, but she's also very perceptive. Don't let her discover you!**

**Don't play with my hair. In fact, don't touch it at all, you don't have to. It’s more delicate and intimate than you think. If my roots grow out too much, I’ll dye them when I see fit.**

**It seems difficult for you to contain your emotions, but remember that I am not an explosion of walking enthusiasm. Is it so hard for you to be a little more calm and private?**

**And for God's sake, don't get so close to Boscha!**

_ We're trying to work as a team to cope with this bizarre phenomenon. Still, today I can't help but sigh in frustration as I read Luz's entry in my diary. I pinch the bridge of my nose, in exasperation, wondering for the umpteenth time if this girl has read the rules I left written for her, or if she's even trying to pretend to be me. It seems that she's only interested in enjoying the freedom she doesn't have in Bonesborough. I do respect that, but she could try not to turn my life upside down so often. Luz could be more responsible. _

When I read Amity's notes, more than a memo telling me what happened the day before, it looks like she wrote a police article or a report to me. I read it over breakfast, having the orange juice Eda makes for me in the mornings, and I feel something in my stomach swirling. I know she's trying, but it's like she's not interested enough to really care. I sigh, and think of 101 ways to show the world that I'm still me and not a serious Hexside girl in my body. Amity could be more carefree and bubbly!

**Luz to Amity, via diary (Tuesday 4, 21:34 pm)**

Why did you do so well in the school's modern runes contest? You know that's not like me! The teachers keep stopping me in the corridors congratulating me on the victory, now they want me to join the next one! Even Willow was impressed. Willow! She asked me to lend her the books I've read and to discuss with her the modern currents of contemporary runes next time. How am I supposed to fix this?!

**Amity to Luz, via phone notes (Thursday 6, 13:12 pm)**

_ Luz, I thought I made it clear enough that you're not allowed to waste my money on food. You've been to that cafeteria so many times that when I walked through the door this morning I was greeted by my name and asked if I wanted 'the usual'. You leave me the gallery full of pictures of food. Besides, with all the sugar you're taking, now I have to do twice as much workout to burn everything. Have a little consideration and responsibility with your actions. _

**Luz to Amity, via diary (Sunday 9, 20:44 pm)**

Technically, it's your body that eats them so that's consideration! And I'm also earning money at the restaurant, which is still as bad as the first day. Speaking of, you put in too many hours and you don’t even need the money that bad! I have no time left to go out and have fun! Don't you have a life outside of school and work? With all the cool stuff there is to do in Hexside City, and you’re wasting your youth working all day. Well, I've planned a lot of fun stuff for the next few weeks for Emira, Edric and I, and they said they sounded great (they looked at me a little weird, but it's going to be awesome anyways!).

**Amity to Luz, via phone notes (Wednesday 12, 22:03 pm)**

_ No way, that’s not happening! Emira suspects me enough, don't give her any more reasons! Honestly, you don't seem to think things over before you do them, do you? And secondly, how do you expect me to do these braids with the Owl Lady? I've never had to sew, stitch, or knit before in my life. I suppose it can't be that complicated, but I'd rather not have to. Can't she give you a few days off or something? And stop having fun at my expense, Luz! _

**Luz to Amity, via diary (Friday 14, 19:55 pm)**

Come on, you're the most interesting thing that's happened to me in years. You know how boring this place in the middle of nowhere can be. Don't be so strict and let me have some fun! When it comes to braiding, you gotta learn how to make them as soon as possible! And hey, what's that about a cafeteria you're building with Gus there?

**Amity to Luz, via phone notes (Monday 17, 20:31 pm)**

_ I'm not stopping you from having fun, but don't use my life as an excuse. Keep in mind that you are still me, you have obligations and goals to achieve. I have to join the Emperor’s Coven one day. You can do fun things, but remember it's my life, not yours. Don't take advantage of being me! _

**Luz to Amity, via diary (Thursday 20, 23:12 pm)**

I'm not doing that! Look, actually, thanks to my friendly and sweet charms I'm making Boscha start crushing on you. I'm doing this for your own good! In fact, today, after work, Boscha and I went out for a drink. I wanted to invite her, but she ended up paying for it. And then she goes and says "You'll invite me after you come to my next Grudgby match, huh?"! "I promise," I replied, acting cool. The two of you are going smoothly. And it's all because of me. You'll thank me later ;)

**Amity to Luz, via phone notes (Saturday 22, 19:15 pm)**

_ I believe I said you weren’t allowed to get so close to Boscha! Stop messing with my personal life, Luz! My crushes and relationships are mine, do I meddle with yours? _

**Luz to Amity, via diary (Tuesday 25, 20:21 pm)**

Hey Amity! What's this love letter I received!? Can you explain to me why some girl I don't even know has asked me out!? And then you go and tell her you'll think about it! Are you crazy!? What happened that you didn't tell me!?

**Amity to Luz, via phone notes (Thursday 27, 19:53 pm)**

_ Let's see if the next time you go over to Boscha you remember this. But for the record, I didn't do anything special. That girl from one grade below us came up to me for help with classical savage ages literature and I spent the whole afternoon in the high school building teaching her about it. We actually had a good time, she's nice, and pretty cute. She seems to be looking for something more, who am I to break her heart? _

**Luz to Amity, via diary (Sunday 30, 19:07 pm)**

Don't be so full of yourself, Amity! You don't even have that Someone Special!

**Amity to Luz, via phone notes (Tuesday 2, 23:09 pm)**

_ And neither do you. You're not the one to speak, Luz. _

**Luz to Amity, via diary (Friday 5, 22:22 pm)**

You're wrong, Amity…! It's not that I don't have someone, it's that I don't  _ want  _ to have one! You're an  _ idiot _ !

**Amity to Luz, via phone notes (Sunday 7, 19:47 pm)**

_ Why did I wake up with the word 'idiot' on my cheek? How childish can you be? If this is what you want, then let's see if tomorrow it's you who has 'idiot' written all over your face...! _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Wednesday, Amity will go on a field trip & discover new things about Luz :) dream or reality?


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amity goes on a field trip and has some conflicted feelings towards Luz for the first time!

The sound of Luz's alarm bounces in the room, an insistent, rhythmic little bell that urges Amity to wake up. 

She does, reluctantly. More sounds start to reach her ears. The joyful singing of some birds beyond the window. The lazy rustle of the leaves of the trees. And, more than anything else, what she notices is the absence of sounds. In Hexside, as it's a big city and as Amity lives in the heart of it, every morning when she wakes up she finds hundreds of sounds together playing in unison and making a noise that's constantly there at the back of her mind, relentless. Yet here she can only hear peace, serenity and silence. It's comforting.

 _I’m having a village day today_ , Amity thinks to herself, and she feels less and less bothered by this idea each time Luz and her swap.

Village life means that Amity won't have to give her best in school, that she doesn’t have to work in the afternoon in the restaurant and that she can enjoy the outdoors and nature for a few hours. To be honest, Amity often scolds Luz and tells her not to take advantage of her life or of being in her body, but she also secretly enjoys her peaceful lifestyle more each day. Though this is something Amity won't admit to her, of course. Don't get her wrong, she loves her life and she wouldn't trade it for Luz's, but she does like that thanks to her, Amity can disconnect from time to time. 

There’s a fundamental difference between Luz and her though, and it is that Luz simply enjoys and experiences being in Amity’s body, while Amity also cares a little about improving Luz's own life while she’s her. In fact, Gus and Amity have started after class to build a small cafeteria for him, Willow and her – well, for Luz – which is already pretty far advanced. As peaceful as this life is, the truth is that Amity has several things to look forward to.

Still in bed, she decides to get up and start the day at last, before King comes in through the door to wake her up, being his usual mess of excitement and enthusiasm so early in the morning.

Amity blinks once, twice, trying to make the drowsiness that still weighs on her eyelids disappear. She rubs her eyes and goes up to the stand-up mirror that’s in Luz’s room, about to brush her hair and get ready for the day. 

She stares at her reflection -at Luz’s reflection-, and she holds her breath.

Even though at this point she’s seen Luz's body many times, Amity doesn’t think she will ever stop being fascinated when she finds herself in it, having it so close, so different from hers. 

There's her pajamas, consisting only of a grey sleeveless top and some purple shorts with an orange moon and star. Tufts of wavy hair shining dark brown scatter over her head, so rebellious on the outside, but so delicate to the touch. A fleeting thought crosses Amity’s mind and she wonders if Luz will be the same, indomitable on the outside but soft on the inside, and she imagines herself caressing her tan skin with her own hands.

 _W_ _hat!_?

Amity tries to get the idea out of her mind, but she can't help but feel a pleasant warm sensation spreading through her cheeks, like a wave tempered by the sun hitting the rocks on the shore. _Why did I think of that?_ Amity’s heart beats faster, pounding like a drum in her ears, in her temples. _I mean, it's not like I feel any different about Luz. I have no interest in Luz in that way. Just..._

Amity raises her right hand slowly. Her fingertip brushes the skin on her cheek -on Luz’s cheek- lightly, and soon she palms the side of her face, fascinated.

When all her fingertips reach the surface of her skin, Amity feels her face burn. Even the air thickens in her lungs, wanting to slow down time. Seconds turn to minutes, minutes to hours, hours to bits of eternity, and Amity’s fingers trace silhouettes over Luz’s factions, bordering the surface of the tan skin that relaxes under her own touch. Soft. Warm. _Safe_ . Her touch brushes Luz’s cheeks, her round ears, her nose, her lips. Firm but delicate. Strong but sensitive. The thought sneaks back into her mind, suddenly and uninvited, unconscious, but this time she doesn’t try to push it away so badly. _What will it be like to caress Luz's skin with my own hands…?_

Just then, the door opens with a thud, and a tiny waddling figure makes its way to the room.

“What are you doing there, Luz?”

King’s voice is playful and amusing. Still, Amity turns her back on him and covers her face with her hands in a lightning-fast motion. If Amity thought her face burned before, now she must have it almost literally in flames, near the color of King's collar. If she had her pointy pointy ears in this body, they’d surely be red at the tips. Amity’s throat has decided to close and let pass only the air necessary to survive. Even so, she makes an effort to articulate a word.

“Nothing!” Amity tastes the shame on the tip of her tongue. “I was just… Getting ready…”

“Yeah, sure you were,” King sticks out his tongue, still with a funny pitch in his voice, no malice at all. “Anyway, breakfast is ready. Eda says you should come down now!”

“Okay,” Amity manages to speak without her voice shaking, she’s almost proud of herself. “I'll be right down.”

King nods and disappears behind the door, closing it gently. Amity hears him jumping down the stairs until she loses the sound of his tiny footsteps. Only then does she uncover her face again and takes a long sigh, releasing all the air that was trapped in her lungs to the point where they had started to hurt, still with her heart racing. _Really, what's gotten into me? I'm not like this._

Amity stretches, making several bones pop. She gets the uniform that's folded on the desk and heads for the bathroom. Just before going out the door, with the corner of her eye she sees her reflection –Luz's reflection– in the large mirror that's in her room, again. Amity shakes her head and disappears behind the door, walking in the house with her cheeks still warm.

_No, I've had enough conflicting feelings for the whole day. Looking at those brown eyes again would only confuse my head more._

* * *

“The Tiamat comet will be visible from Earth within a few days. When and where can we see it?“

Already with the uniform well fitted and the ribbon properly placed on the chest, Amity goes down to the living room. There's King and Eda chatting excitedly and having breakfast – a couple of toasts and the jasmine tea that Eda makes every morning. They're also watching television. With curiosity, Amity leans against the doorframe and focuses on the WTV girl that's talking.

Under big white lettering that says <<The Tiamat comet reaches its perigee>>, two hostesses explain the position of the comet on a drawing that shows its route, with dates that mark the location it will have at any given moment. With a stick that ends in a small star, one of them explains what it's movements will be and at what moment it will be better visible for them. Her high-pitched voice is the only thing that's heard in the room, along with King's chewing noises.

“The Tiamat comet moves from east to west as if following the movement of the sun, so it will be visible above Venus right after sunset in a few days.”

“Why are you wearing your uniform, dummy?”

King asks her with a raised eyebrow, leaving the glass on the table as if it were the strangest thing Amity could've done. Eda looks at her with the corner of her eye, with a playful grin on her face. Still leaning against the doorframe, Amity frowns, confused.

_Today is Tuesday, aren't we supposed to have classes?_

* * *

The soft, relaxing sound of water flowing slowly through the river fills Amity’s senses. 

Shaping in small currents, the water plays among the rocks – sliding through them, rolling them, smoothing their surface, splashing the earth beyond the edges of the river, mixing with other streams, and reflecting like a crystalline and pristine mirror the lights that filter through the leaves of the trees, that sway gently over their heads. Some of these leaves are lifted by the breeze and they float, swing, hover over small currents of air until they rest in the river making small circles around them, then disappear and vanish. The leaves are carried like tiny boats adrift along the playful streams of water that flow naturally following the paths that surround them. Under their crystal-clear depths, the smooth rocks gleam with the brightness of the sun, and the red and brown autumn leaves join their course.

Around them, several hundred large trees like tall buildings, color the landscape in shades of red, crimson, brown, yellow and orange. Autumn is vivid in everything Amity sees. In the chestnut and imposing trees that dot her field of vision. In each leaf that comes off them. In every river that sounds. In every squirrel, bird and even deer that has crossed with curiosity in their way. In each creak of the leaves under her feet. Autumn is alive in every inch of this picture, of this village, of this mountain, of every step she advances, of every breath she takes. 

Never in all her years of life had she seen such a beautiful place, such a magnificent view, so natural, so wild but at the same time so balanced, so alive. Amity has lived many fall days, but none of them fit so perfectly with the word as this one. The Hexside City autumn trees, dull and with the branches cut symmetrically by the town hall, have nothing to do with the imposing, wild and free trees of bright red and brown colors that wrap around them. The smell of dry leaves, of rain, of daylight, of fields, of nature, seeps through her nostrils, flooding Amity from inside, inviting her to let herself be filled by this landscape, by this life, by this feeling of familiarity and closeness that she had never experienced before.

The adventurous rays of the sun slipping through the treetops leave flashes in the rivers and bright patches on the path they’re following. Shining over King and Eda, the light pulls up silvery sparkles on Eda and bright dark from King's fur. And as for Amity, she’s never seen the brown locks of hair shine with so much color, so much brightness. If she already thought Luz was beautiful, now Amity has no words to describe her.

She sees the world around her in a new light. There’s no noise of cars, of people running from one side to the other, of constructions, of bars. Only the song of the birds gurgles in her ears, like a sweet melody that lulls her in this view that seems taken from an exhibition photograph.

“Eda,” King breaks the silence with his voice full of curiosity. “Why is the sacred repository of our coven so far away? My tiny legs can’t handle the journey, I should’ve brought my minions here so they carried me!”

Eda walks a few steps ahead of them. The patches of light slipping through the trees draw bizarre figures on her back. Under her feet and under the owl-shaped staff that always follows her, the leaves creak again. And, for a moment, that sound is the only answer King receives. He looks at Amity, and she shrugs her shoulders. When it looks like they’re not going to get an answer, Eda's voice comes to them, bathed in anger.

“It's Emperor Belos' fault. In that fire, much more than just the meaning of our traditions was lost,” a sigh. “I don't know either, Mr. Wiggles.”

 _Emperor Belos?_ Amity raises an eyebrow, but Eda doesn’t notice. _What does the Emperor have to do with this little town and Eda’s coven?_ But from the way she's talked to them about him, King and Luz must know what he has to do with all of this. _The problem is that I'm not Luz_ , Amity thinks to herself.

“What did Emperor Belos do?” Amity leans over to King, who walks beside her, and she asks him in a low voice.

“Don't you remember what Emperor Belos did? The other day we were talking about him while you were doing the braids!” King looks at her with a frown, and he stares in suspicion. Amity shrugs her shoulders, not saying anything else, waiting for King to keep talking. He does. “You're so weird, Luz. You know, Emperor Belos, he came to town and because of a fight she started with the Titan when he attacked the city, half the town caught fire. And that's why we lost the writings with our traditions and why we do them. You really don't remember? Do all humans have such poor memory?”

“Oh, yes!” Amity pretends she does, nodding vehemently. King seems pleased and nods as well. Amity smiles. “Of course, that’s what Emperor Belos did. _Silly_ me.”

 _So he attacked Bonesborough, huh?_ Amity’s curious to know more, but if she asks King or Eda right now it's going to be very suspicious, so she’ll ask Luz when they switch bodies again. Why would the Emperor attack such a tiny town? And who was that Titan? And why would Emperor Belos start a fire? Amity pictures the whole village, with its humble houses, its large rice fields, the edge of the lake, the forests on the slopes of the mountains and the kind people who live in it, _burning_. It's a horrible sight. A chill runs down her back, despite the warm rays of the sun bathing her face through the trees.

King, Eda and Amity have been walking up a mountain path for almost an hour. 

When she put on her uniform this morning and Eda looked at her funny, she then told Amity that today was a holiday in the village, and that today they would take an offering to the sacred repository of the First Witches at the top of this mountain.

Amity personally has never been too fond of the First Witches, rituals, offerings or ceremonies of this kind. They were told that the First Witches did wild magic, unkept and dangerous wild magic that threatened the rightful order of things until Emperor Belos ascended to the throne and recluded the wild magic and the Old Ways of Magic in a single Coven, which is Eda’s coven of the First Witches. There are people who think that the First Witches’ spirits still roam this world through the energy of things, and so they make ceremonies and offerings in their honor. 

Amity’s never been too big of a fan. She believes in the things that she can see, that can be touched, measured and explained. Amity’s a girl of science, of history, of finding reasoning and logical solutions, of learning from the mistakes of the past so as not to make them again, of letting herself be guided by the brain and not by the heart. Or she was like that until the exchange of bodies with Luz started several months ago. 

Something that she can't control, that she can't explain no matter how hard she thinks about it and how much research she does. Something so spectacular, impossible, unreal, almost magical... that makes Amity shudder. Now, she doesn’t really know what to believe in. The world in which Luz lives seems to have been taken from one of those ancient witch legends, and Amity can't help but feel a little admiration for it. 

_If I have to believe in something, for now it's enough for me to believe in Luz._

They continue to walk the path one more stretch without speaking. The sun bathes the foliage of the maples, whose vivid red leaves almost look artificially dyed. The air is warm and pleasant, and the breeze is filled with a delicious scent of dried leaves. It's October. _It's amazing_ , Amity thinks to herself, _how in the blink of an eye autumn has completely covered this land._

Always in front of them, Eda walks at a good pace. With her grey hair, Amity would’ve thought she was Luz’s grandma if she didn’t know better. Eda would kill her if she knew. Now that Amity thinks about it, she never met her grandparents. For as long as she can remember, just her mother, father, the twins and her have always been together, but even so she had never known what it’s like to be loved and treated by a loving adult, beyond maybe having met her friends' parents and seeing the sweetness in their eyes. It's not something Amity’s missed, though now that she thinks about it, it’s the first time she’s feeling warmth and kindness coming from an adult. She’s had a very comfortable life, yes; but not an exactly happy one. These months ago living in Luz's body she’s been able to experience how a loved kid feels when Eda is caring for her. How Eda gets up early every day and prepares breakfast. How she teaches them the art of the wild magic and braiding with care and perfection. The proud look she gives them after a rehearsal of the ritual. The ‘good night, kid’ before going to sleep. The legends, tales and teachings that she tells from time to time, catching all their attention. A thought crosses Amity’s mind. _How old is Eda, really?_

She thinks about this as she stares at her small back, splashed by patches of light slipping through the treetops, walking at a steady speed.

“Eda,” Amity calls her, walking a little faster to get next to her. She turns and looks at her, curious. Amity smiles when she’s in front of her. This powerful woman has raised Luz and King alone for many years, and she has always filled their plates with delicious foods, making sure they didn't lack anything. For some reason, Amity also feels that she’s in debt to her. “I, well - _hm_. Thank you, for always caring for King and for me.”

Under the choppy light from the trees and the glitter of the forest, Eda's smile looks brighter. Radiant with happiness, she pats Amity’s back as she tells her ‘Not a problem, kiddo’, and says ‘You're such a handful, but I’m happy to have you around, Luz’. A proud blush spreads on Amity’s cheeks, she doesn’t answer.

Having Eda so close, a strangely familiar smell slips through Amity’s nose, filling her. She gets the feeling that she smelled it a long time ago, maybe at someone else's house, maybe on somebody else many years ago, Amity can't remember it. For a moment, it's like she has a _déjà vu_ , as if she’d already lived this moment, though she knows that's impossible. The strange feeling of intimacy and warmth takes hold of her, stuffing every corner of her chest. As if everything was painfully familiar and she knew this all her life. This smell, her hand on Amity’s back, King's breathing, the sound of the river, the noise of the leaves under their feet, the scent of the people and the essence of the mountain. Everything flows through Amity, as if it had always been there. _As if I always…_

“Are you alright, kid?” Eda breaks Amity’s chain of thoughts and all of a sudden she’s back in the real world. She nods and keeps walking with Eda following closely behind.

Amity thought that, having walked that far, she’d start to get tired by now. That’s surprisingly not the case, as if Luz was used to making these kinds of demanding journeys rather often. Now that she thinks about it, Luz's body is more robust and resilient than it seems. Amity in her body would have needed some rest at some point, but being Luz has been so easy that it's almost ridiculous. Memories of Amity caressing her face this morning come to mind, and Amity blushes unconsciously. Unable to help herself, her admiration for Luz grows. They keep on walking the pathway.

“Here’s a question for you, kids,” Eda says in a bubbly voice behind Amity’s back. “Do you know what Musubi means?”

“Musubi? A bond?” King replies, translating ancient witches' runes, walking beside them carrying his tiny backpack.

Among the loopholes of the trees that have surrounded them until now, the stunning and serene circular shape of the lake starts to unfold, if they look further down. Amity calculates that they have to be already very high in the mountain, apparently. There shouldn't be much left until they reach the top. Lost in the admiration of the landscape that envelops them, Amity had almost forgotten the mission they have. As she goes on walking, she starts to notice some drops of sweat slipping down her temples.

“Musubi is the name given to the First Witch that lived on these lands in a very ancient language,” Eda continues. “This word has very deep meanings, I’m sure that school of yours must’ve taught you something about this.”

 _The First Witch that lived on these lands? What does she mean?_ Amity thinks to herself in disbelief that’s historically accurate, while she listens to her voice full of confidence and conviction. But the truth is that the voice of Eda, who looks like a character taken from an ancient Demon Realm legend book, owns an inexplicable power of influence, and makes Amity rethink everything she believes.

“When we braid we create a _‘bond’_ between the strings we have put together. _‘Bonds’_ are also created between people by connecting with each other. The flow of time is also, in its own way, a _‘bond’_ ,” her solemn voice pierces Amity’s ears and rumbles in her heart following the rhythm of her heavy beats, marking each word. “All these phenomena use the same word – the name of a First Witch, and their power. The braiding that we do is also the technique of ancient magic summoning, which precisely reflects the course of time.”

Amity can hear the murmur of the water coming from the river. _There must be a stream nearby_ , she thinks, even though her mind is actually following Eda's flow of words.

“They come together and take shape. They turn, intertwine, and sometimes they unravel. They break and then reconnect,” Amity pictures a branch of a river. The colored strings mix. The leaves of the trees join the surface of the water. Threads of all kinds that are created, connected and destroyed to be reconnected. “That's what braiding is. That's time. And that's also a _‘bond’_.”

Amity visualizes the flow of crystalline water. It hits the rocks, separates, joins with other currents and comes back to its torrent. The water of each river, each swamp, each lake, each sea, and each ocean is part of a whole that is connected. Just like the people and the threads that connect them, separate and entangle one another. Though Amity has no idea what Eda is trying to tell them, she feels in her heart that she’s learned a very important lesson. _A bond_. She’ll try to engrave those words in her mind, to remember their meaning when she wakes up. Meanwhile, a drop of sweat slips down her face and falls to the ground with a low noise, after a few moments the dry land of the mountain sucks it up.

“Here, drink this, kid.”

After a while, they take a brief break under the shade of a large reddish tree. The leaves that fall from it dance around them with parsimony. Amity breathes deeply, and the smell of earth fills her again. It's pleasant. Eda takes out a canteen and gives it to her.

 _It's delicious_ . She brewed a toasted barley tea and added a spoonful of sugar which, diluted, gives it a sweet taste. Amity drinks two glasses in one go. King is also asking for more, moving his tiny plastic cup insistently in front of Eda’s face. She understands King's enthusiasm, this may be the best drink Amity’s tasted to date. None of the drinks at the restaurants, bars or cafes she’s visited so far had such a good taste. She looks at her plastic cup, still with the brown liquid casting a few threads of smoke because it's still hot. _It tastes better because it's authentic_ , Amity thinks to herself. _Because it's real, natural and authentic, like everything else in this little town._ Amity looks at Eda and King, and she can't help but smile.

“This is also a bond,” Eda says again with a soft laugh.

“How?” Amity looks at her, sitting on the roots of the tree, while she passes the canteen to King so he pours another cup in.

“Did you know? Whether it's water, rice, tea, food, alcohol... When a person, witch or human, consumes something, a _‘bond’_ is formed. What enters the body is linked to the soul, to the spirit,” she continues. “The offering we're going to make today is part of a very important tradition that connects the First Witches with mankind.”

Amity nods as she listens to her words, and let them echo within her. She looks down at the drink that rests in the plastic cup. She wonders if this tea she’s drinking will merge with her soul or Luz's soul, or if it will be a bond that will bring them both together. For some reason, this idea comforts Amity.

* * *

Almost without realizing it, the trees have been disappearing around them. 

They’re already very high on the mountain, they should reach the top at any moment. Without trees wrapping around her field of vision, the world seems to have widened and expanded all around Amity. Beneath their feet, beyond the mountain footpaths, below where the sparrows fly, Amity can see a village next to a huge lake, the size of her sketchbook, partially covered by clouds. Raising her eyes above she notices that, without the treetops hiding it, the sky seems immense, endless. Amity looks up and sees more clouds, but these are not thick, but ethereal and resplendent, covering the peaks of the other mountains that surround them with their imposing presence. They merge with the currents of wind and disappear in an instant towards the distance, leaving a trace of white fragments, like shattered, through the blue of the sky. Around them there are only rocks covered with moss. _At last, we've reached the top._

“Hey, I can see it!”

King exclaims with a scream, jumping from one rock to another, quickly moving away without waiting for them, until he reaches a large rock and climbs up on it, gazing at something beyond. Amity manages to reach him, even though notably quicker, and she follows his gaze. Unconsciously, Amity opens her mouth a bit.

The landscape before her eyes is undoubtedly the most impressive thing she’s ever seen. Astonished, Amity looks beyond. Eda looks at her with a pleased little smile. She hears her voice before she can process her thoughts, little stronger than a whisper, filled with a solemn emotion unfamiliar to her.

“Is that the sacred place of the First Witches?” Amity asks aloud, although the question really echoes in the mountain without the need for an answer.

In front of her lies a huge hollow in the shape of a cauldron, as if someone had emptied half the top of the mountain, creating a perfectly round and gigantic basin. Everything around them is part of the rim of the ravine, a practically perfect circle of stone, and within it extend several tens of kilometers of bright green earth under the sunlight, with small rivers and accumulations of water that connect to each other, with small leafy areas with trees slightly taller than her. It's like a paradise at the top of the mountain, protected by the clouds that surround the summit a little lower and bathed by the sunlight that's directly above them. And right in the middle of the ravine, there's a single colossal tree of enormous dimensions, bordered by a river that surrounds it making a circle around it. 

_Something tells me that this is where we have to go._

Still with the amazement shining in her golden irises, Amity watches in awe the scenery that far surpasses anything she could've imagined. From one point to another, Amity analyzes everything that her eyes see, trying to print it behind her eyelids so that she can draw it when she wakes up in her body in the morning. 

Up here, higher than the layer of clouds, beyond the very edge of the world, at the point closer to the sun than Amity’s ever been, the air is denser and more difficult to breathe. Yet that's not why she feels like she’s short of air in her lungs. There's complete silence up here. It's just King, Eda and her. There are no birds, no more people, and of course there's not the constant noise of cars, people, buildings and music that’s usual in Hexside City. Amity closes her eyes for a moment, and if she focuses enough she can hear her heart beating, her heavy breathing, the pure air coming in through her nostrils, the dry sound of her snickers against the rocks, and she can almost hear her thoughts as well. _Never before had I been in a place that gave so much peace as I feel now_ , Amity thinks to herself. _I wish Luz could also see this, here and now, with me._

“From here on is the Hidden World,” Eda says, stopping her walk and placing her hands on her hips.

They’ve walked down to the center of the vast depression at the top of the mountain. Just in front of her is a small stream of crystal water, and a little further on, the giant tree.

“The Hidden World?” King and Amity ask in unison, looking at Eda not completely understanding.

“Exactly,” she nods, as if it were obvious. “It means that beyond this point is the Other World.”

_The Other World._

Eda's deep, solemn voice resounds cold in Amity’s eardrums, and it gives her chills all over her spine. She can almost feel the hair on the back of his neck bristling. 

She looks at the stream, which flows quietly in front of her, and then at the imposing tree that rises in the middle of the hollow, their destination. Amity looks back at the long road they have descended, the slope of the mountain and the stone edges of this large basin. She can feel her legs freezing, as if they were made of cold and motionless marble that doesn't respond to her own will. The reassuring silence that had surrounded them all along the way turns deafening in her ears. All of a sudden it overwhelms her so much that she can't breathe, she’s short of air in her lungs. _Sacred mountains, mystical places, energy points_ . Eda has used several ways to talk about this place, this feeling. Whatever name it gets, Amity is convinced that a supernatural atmosphere is everywhere around them. She can't help but shrink slightly. _The other world_ , Amity repeats to herself, letting the words sink in like raindrops on her clothes. _What if I can't come back just because I came in here? What if I cross over to the other side and get trapped in this place, in this body?_

“Oooh! The other world!”

King exclaims, full of excitement, as he jumps and splashes across the stream. Amity looks at him as he crosses and reaches the other side, and he turns to show them a huge, proud smile. Amity’s only known him for a few months, since her and Luz's body exchange began, but whenever she looks at him, King's always full of energy and vitality. 

Amity has to admit that such effusiveness is often overwhelming to her, but now seeing him like that, so cheerful despite having walked all morning, with his bright pink eyes looking at them with excitedness, Amity can't help but feel tenderness towards him. _Maybe I should learn more from King and Luz_ , she tells herself, looking up at the sky. 

With the wonderful day they have and the soft sound of the breeze, there's no need to be afraid. She looks at Eda, who looks at King with the same affection in her eyes. Amity innerly smiles to herself. _Yes, there’s no need to be afraid._ Using the rocks as a support, Eda holds Amity’s hand to help her cross the stream without her getting wet.

“In order to return to our world,” she says, mysterious. “It’s necessary to leave behind what is most precious to you.”

“Eda...” Amity whispers, a nervous smile dancing on her lips. _What if I'm really going to get trapped in here!?_ “What exactly do you mean?”

Eda laughs at her insecurity, which makes Amity worry more.

“Don't be afraid, kid,” she makes a carefree gesture with her hand that doesn't help making Amity feel better. “I'm talking about the Elixir of the First Witches.”

_The Elixir of the First Witches?_

"Come on, get it out," Eda urges them when they reach the base of the huge tree in the middle of the hollow. Beneath it there’s a kind of small temple made of solid white stone. Or what must have been a temple once, but now it's half demolished, standing as it can on the enormous roots of the big tree. Even so, there's an opening which must have been the gateway many years ago. Before entering, Eda stops them and asks them to take them out.

King and Amity then opened their backpacks and each one took out an identical container. 

They are two little jars of white and shiny ceramics. Amity remembers seeing some of them in the houses of the village at some point. The circular base, of about five centimeters in diameter, has a kind of pedestal on which it rests. And the cap is tied by a red braided cord, which Amity guesses they made themselves in the sanctuary. Following King's example, she uncorks it to see that it still has its contents. She can hear the sound of the liquid inside as it swings, and a slight smell of alcohol tickles her nose. She closes it again, tying the string making sure it doesn't fall off, with a nice bow. No matter how solemn everything is, Amity doesn’t know what any of this means. She’s sure Luz would know what to do, and for her it would have a much deeper meaning than Amity can feel now. Still, she can't help but feel fortunate that she’s living this through her brown eyes.

“Beneath the sacred repository,” Eda continues, staring at the great tree, pointing to it with her owl-shaped staff. “Is a small sanctuary. That is where you will make the offering. Now, this Elixir represents the other half of yourself.”

_The other half of Luz._

Amity looks at the ceramic jar that she holds carefully, as if it could shatter just by looking at it too intensely, and she feels it fragile in her hands, precious. Luz has chewed this rice to make the Elixir of the First Witches. She thinks of Eda's words, of that lesson that she’s tried to engrave in her soul so that she doesn’t forget when she wakes up, about the links and bonds that they make with the world. One could say that this Elixir, as well, is the product of a _‘bond’_ between this body and that rice. That Luz has merged with her soul and that now Amity’s the one seeing this bond, and she keeps it in her hands. A piece of her spirit, of her life, of her bubbly character, of her ambitions, desires, hopes, dreams, goals and illusions. A fragment of Luz. The other half of Luz. And now _I'm the one who holds it._

Some brown locks tickle the side of her face, she lets the wind rock them around her, brushing against her cheeks, stealing hazel sparkles from the sun itself. With her heart beating solemnly in her ribcage, and her chest full of a foreign sense of pride, Amity starts to walk towards the tree, ready to offer the other half of Luz. 

For some reason Amity is reassured to think that, somewhere in the world, it's Luz who holds the other half of her.

* * *

Amity thinks this is the first time she’s heard the cicadas singing. 

She knows they're cicadas because she’s heard this sound before, in movies and on television, when they want to let them know it's getting dark. Yet, hearing their sad hum now, descending the mountain hillside, coming from all angles, wraps her again in the comfortable feeling of being surrounded by nature _. I could get used to this_ , Amity thinks as she watches the layers of clouds surrounding the mountain peaks below. They’re still high up, even though they’ve been walking their way back for several hours now. The fog starts to climb up the trees, covering them with its cold, thick blanket of curious clouds, and Amity tries to figure out how long it will take for those to reach them. the sun still shines high in the sky, imposing, but not with the strength of earlier. Its flashes have grown orange, almost the shade of the sky. As if colored with pink, yellow, orange and purple watercolors, it stretches until it turns into a thin line that blends in with the ranges of the farthest mountains. _Really, this landscape looks like it was taken from a photography exhibition._

“Luz, look! The sun is setting!”

After a long day of rituals, instead of being exhausted King seems calmer, as if he had just finished doing his chores. The rays of sunset light, bright and accurate as spotlights, reach both King and Eda with their orange glow sideways and create a scene almost so perfect that it looks like a painting. _I wish I could stop the time now_ _and draw this scene,_ Amity thinks _. Luz would’ve loved this._

King walks to the edge of the hill, leaving the footpath to get a better view, and Amity follows him. Looking down, she unconsciously exhales a little ‘Whoa’ under her breath. 

From the top where they are, Amity can see the whole village scattered on the slopes of the mountains that surround it. Practically from a bird's eye view, Luz's village stretches out before her, bordering the entire lake that looks like a huge mirror. The violet shadows of the twilight have already engulfed it, and only the lake reflects with soft shades the color of the sunset. Little by little, a pink color begins to dye the hillsides of the mountains. Dinnertime is approaching and the houses start to show very fine rows of smoke, as if sending out small smoke signals. The sparrows, flying over the village, move in a fun and flickering way, like the specks of dust floating in an empty classroom after school hours, filling the valley with their chirping.

“Oh, that's right! It won't be long before we can see the comet!” King says as he reaches out his paw to block out the twilight light and searches for something in the sky.

_The comet?_

Now that King mentions it, Amity remembers that this morning the TV girl was talking about it. They had reported that a comet was approaching and that it was close enough to be seen with the naked eye. Amity searches her memories for the words she let slip without paying attention to, with a strange feeling that it's something important. She said that if they looked at the sky just after sunset above Venus they could see a bright spot. The comet.

“The comet...” Amity repeats aloud, and she hears her voice as if it was not her who spoke, but someone else at another time.

_Huh?_

She has the sudden feeling that she’s forgetting something. That weird feeling swirls in her stomach, telling her something's not right, but she doesn’t know what it is. And she can't concentrate on finding out. Right now, the idea of seeing the comet is everything that fills her mind, every chink and corner, as if it were the most important thing in the world.

The comet.

Amity narrows her eyes and joins King in trying to find it in the middle of a firmament dotted with splintered clouds. Then she sees it, Amity sees it in a flash – there's the tail of the comet, a bluish glow, above the extraordinarily bright Venus. Her heart's hammering insistently in her chest, a strange sensation flowing through her veins, running from head to toe, tingling at her fingertips like sand. 

Amity feels as if something was struggling to rise from the deepest part of her memory. Something that has been asleep for a long time and now fights to wake up. But she doesn’t know what it is – _I don't know what's going on_. The air becomes heavier and heavier, and the movements become slower and slower. Amity tries to cling to that thought, to that something that strives to come to the surface of her troubled memory.

_Wait a minute. I think I... I remember._

_A long time ago... I, too..._

“Oh, Luz...”

Eda gets her out of her trance. She's lifted up her head and looks at Amity deeply, plunging her irises into Amity’s with such intensity that she can almost feel her presence physically touching her soul. Then, Amity sees her reflection in her deep dark eyes.

And she doesn’t see Luz; but her green hair, her pointy ears and her round golden eyes looking back at her from the reflection of Eda’s eyes.

“You're dreaming, aren't you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter this Saturday, Amity has her first date !!!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amity goes on her first date!!

Amity opens her eyes.

All of a sudden.

She’s gotten up so abruptly that the sheets have been thrown out and have ended up falling softly and quietly on the wood floor of her room. Her heart is pounding like never before, with so much energy that it feels like it will make her ribs break at any moment, so strong that it's physically painful. Still, Amity can't feel her heartbeat. Her body feels numb.  _ How strange...  _ but just then, she notices the blood flowing through her veins again, like ants running through her chest, arms, legs, fingers, to the tip of her pointy ears, which stretch lazily. And a half-short sigh comes out of her dehydrated lips.

The song of the morning sparrow on the other side of the window, the engine of the cars, the voices of the street people, the noises of the constructions, the whistles of the trains... as if her body had finally remembered where it was, her ears begins to automatically pick up the sounds of Hexside City.

“Tears...?”

With a trembling hand, Amity touches her cheek and finds that a tear rests on her fingertip. A single crystalline tear, similar to those that now descend through her cheeks to the curve of her chin, wetting Amity’s face and leaving a trace full of an emotion that she cannot remember.

_ Why? _

Not understanding anything, Amity wipes the tears with the palm of her hand, but more and more keep coming. She has a knot in her heart that squeezes her, and her breathing sounds difficult and almost like panting in the morning silence. Amity squeezes the palms of her hands against her closed eyes, trying to stop the tears from falling. Stop, Amity begs.  _ Stop! _

Then the sight of the sunset of a few moments ago is drawn in her mind, the orange and violet shades in a scattered sky, and the words of Eda resound in her memory in a distant way.  _ Bonds _ . Amity tries to cling to that vision, to those words, to that memory, to Luz... but everything begins to dry up and disappear like drops of water in the desert. The memory melts like sand between her fingers, leaving tiny fragments and an empty void inside her, almost suffocating. _ What's going on? Why am I crying? Have I dreamt of a sunset? _

The phone, resting on the pillow, rings.

**I'm about to arrive! You better not leave me hanging, Blight.**

Amity reads the message once, twice, and blinks. It's a message from Boscha.  _ It's a message from Boscha? _

_ About to arrive...? What is she talking about...?  _ Her cloudy mind does its best to make sense of it, but it doesn't find anything that fits. Amity rereads it with a frown. Were we going to hang out? Then she can almost see a light physically lighting up in her head, and she opens her eyes wide.

“Don't tell me Luz has done it again!”

Amity moves around to get a better position in bed and starts looking for Luz's entries on her phone, frantically going from one to the other, looking for an explanation.  _ What have you done this time, Luz? _

Suddenly, all the air in her lungs vanishes like snow melting in the sun, and she feels the adrenaline rush through every fiber of her being, every nerve, hair and centimeter of her skin like an electric shock capable of paralyzing an elephant. The phone falls from her trembling hands to the bed.

“I have a  _ date _ !?”

Amity jumps out of bed and starts getting dressed at the speed of light.

**You have a date with Boscha tomorrow! You're meeting in front of the station at 10:30 am, don't be late! I've planned everything for you to have a good time, and I've also made sure to include plans that I know you'll like. Don't be nervous and be yourself, I'm sure she's going to simply love you! I know I do!**

**You're probably mad at me right now for planning all this without telling you, but spontaneous plans are the best plans! Please don't panic, just let yourself be carefree for one evening, okay?**

**I really hope you have a great time, Amity.**

**Luz :P**

Amity’s never considered herself a believer, but right now she’s thanking every god she can think of that the place where this airhead says she has to meet Boscha is so close to her house. After hurrying to get ready –  _ I almost forgot to put on my orange hair tie, and I never leave home without it! – _ and walking fast dodging people on the street, Amity gets to the meeting point ten minutes earlier. She looks at her phone to make sure Boscha hasn't arrived yet while she tries to catch her breath and bring the air back to her tired lungs. Though today is a holiday and it's early in the morning, the station area is full of people, Amity notices.

“Gosh, Luz...” She whispers to herself, running her hands through her green hair nervously as she looks for Boscha's face in the crowd, heart racing. “Why do you have to do these things...? Didn't I tell you not to mess up my life...!?”

Amity has a date with Boscha. _ I have a date with Boscha, out of all the people in this world. And on top of that, it's my first date ever! And with Boscha!  _ Amity feels a blush climbing up her neck and spreading over her already warm cheeks. _ Luz, please _ , she begs mentally even though she knows Luz can't hear her,  _ you still have time to switch places with me! _

“Hello, Amity.”

A snarky, familiar voice greets her from behind, and she turns abruptly with her heart hammering in her ears.

“You look worked up already,” Boscha says, looking at Amity from head to toes. “Have you been waiting for long?”

“No,” Amity looks down, slightly embarrassed. “I just got here.”

“Cool.” She can almost hear Boscha cracking a half smile, the easiness in her voice. “We're both on time, then.”

Then Amity looks at her. Slightly tight white trousers, high heels, and a black, almost summery shirt buttoned to the middle of her chest. The black-and-white combination of the outfit makes the pink skin contrast in a satisfactory way. She’s wearing her hair loose, slightly wavy.

She gives Amity a half smile.  _ She’s pretty. _

“You look very good, Amity,” she says with sincerity filling her voice, and Amity’s blush grows, coloring her cheeks even more.

“Shall we go?” Amity stutters, not knowing what to say. Boscha nods and follows her as she walks to the places that Luz, with so much care and dedication, has selected for them.

* * *

“I can't talk to her…”

Amity finds herself looking at her reflection in the girls' restrooms of a museum, with a downhearted feeling stirring her chest and with an infinite desire to bang her head against the wall.

Three hours have passed since their date started, but not in all her life has Amity felt so exhausted. She sighs, looking at the tired face that looks back at her in the mirror. Her almond yellow eyes glow with unease. They’ve been to the places that Luz left written on Amity’s phone, places that she had booked earlier so they could enjoy a fun date. They went to a cafeteria, went up to the highest tower in Hexside City with its beautiful views, went to eat at a very good restaurant, and now they are in a photography museum. To be honest, those are all activities that Amity would've planned herself, things that she likes. It's obvious that Luz has made an effort to think about her and her likings, and that makes Amity feel a pleasant warmth in her stomach. 

But...  _ I feel like I'm ruining everything.  _ She mentally apologizes to Luz, even though she knows it can't get to her, because she’s being such a mess. She had no idea that spending an entire day with Boscha could be so difficult for her. She’s nice when they’re alone, just… not what Amity was expecting. Amity can’t help but think that if Luz were with her today, it would all be easier.

She looks at her reflection in the mirror again, and a wave of insecurities floods her inside. She stares at her colorless eyes, her crooked mouth in a tired grimace, her brows slightly frowned with frustration, and the thought bursts in her head again.  _ Because of me Boscha's not having fun, and Luz’s worked hard for nothing.  _ She clenches her fists on the top of the sink. She wants to run away, find Luz in that faraway village in the middle of the mountains, grab her by the shoulders and yell ‘Why did you have to put me in this situation!? Why aren't you here to help me fix everything!?’.

Because of her insecurities and worries, Amity has no idea what to talk to Boscha about. She's noticed and tried to talk to her several times, but then Amity gets nervous, stutters or says nonsense, and she feels like running away again.  _ It's exhausting _ , Amity thinks defeated, as she wonders what Luz talks to Boscha about when they're alone.  _ It's easier for you _ , Amity talks to her mentally, _ you're good at talking to people and being open and friendly _ . She thought it was her who didn't want to make friends until now that she’s realized that she’s simply really bad at talking to people.  _ Why is it different with you? Is it because we exchange bodies? No, that's not it. With you it's easier to be myself, because you've already seen how I really am and I don't have to pretend to be something I'm not.  _ Amity sighs weakly.

As if she was looking for her help, Amity takes her phone out and reads the entry that Luz left for her.

**Something tells me you've never been on a date before, am I right? But fear nothing! I'm with you, even if I'm not physically there, and just in case I've added a compilation of conversation topics selected by me with a lot of love <3 !**

“Really...?”

Amity whispers to herself, and she can almost feel tears of relief in her eyes. She feels the sudden need to hug Luz very tightly.  _ You're with me but not physically, huh?  _ Without further ado, Amity opens the links she's attached as if they were divine offerings.

**Topic 1: I'm dating a guy and I'm suffering from anxiety.**

**Topic 2: Conversation Tips and Techniques for People who have not Succeeded in Love nor even One Millisecond of their Lives.**

**Topic 3: Are you tired of being thought of as a bore? How to Be Loved: Special Phone Message Collection.**

Amity cringes. She gets the slightest impression that Luz is teasing her pretty badly.

* * *

She walks around the museum, leaping with her eyes from photograph to photograph; somewhat more relaxed, at last. 

They’re watching a photographic exhibition titled ‘Nostalgia’. The photos are in black and white, of remote Demon Realm landscapes and villages that Amity doesn’t recognize. She likes both photography and architecture, so she finds this exhibition quite interesting. Amity thanks Luz again mentally for having worked so hard on this date. Also, she appreciates this environment where it's not so weird not to talk. The museum isn't crowded, and most of the people who, like them, are observing the exhibition, are in a religious silence. The only thing Amity can hear is the muffled sound of their shoes walking on the marble floor, from one section of the exhibition to another. She appreciates the silence and the calm. Amity gazes out of the corner of her eye at Boscha, who slowly walks two meters in front of her as she watches the photographs with a bored expression.  _ She definitely doesn’t look like she likes this sort of thing _ , Amity thinks to herself.

They’ve spent some time looking at the exhibition now. It's divided into different sections according to the regions in the Demon Realm.

Of the landscapes they show, Amity could recognize the most relevant and known. The valleys of the Boiling Isles, the deserts of the West, the tundra of the outlying of Hexside City, the forests of the East. But the other photographs are difficult to tell apart, and they all look practically the same to her. Strangely enough, even houses, train stations, roads or people look alike. Amity’s sure that wherever you go, most small towns and cities look very much alike, all of the Demon Realm's fields are the same. Yet Hexside City has much more personality. She thinks about how all its neighborhoods have their own characteristic features, their customs, their clothes and fashions, their citizens. Humans, demons and witches. All unique and different, but coexisting in the same city.  _ It's fantastic. _

But when Amity passes in front of the last of the regions, her feet suddenly stop on their own, as if a magnet had attached them to the ground. And something in the photographs captures all her attention.

_ This place is different. _

In fact, all the photos have a lot in common with the rest she’s seen, but there's definitely something different.  _ I recognize this place _ , Amity thinks unconsciously as she gets closer. The shape of the imposing mountains, the zigzagging curves of the roads, the size of the glassy lake, the shape of the sanctuary and its large red arches at the entrance, the pattern of the rice fields... Disconnected images dot her head, filling it with memories that she can't quite place. The smell of autumn in the mountains, the sound of the asphalt of the road under her shoes, the light of the sunset reflected in the mirror of the beautiful lake, the cicadas singing under the moon at the sanctuary's gates, the touch of the wheat of the fields in her hands...

Amity looks at the photos with a warmth and familiarity radiating from the deepest part of her chest to her fingertips with an almost electric sensation, similar to the one you have when you find a photo album that you thought was lost and you rediscover memories that your mind had buried. She feels as if the place shown in the photos were the village she used to visit every summer when she was a child during her holidays. Even though technically Amity never did that. A place that fills her with nostalgia, with a yearning that she can't explain. The feeling of déjà vu is there, blossoming in her mind and trying to break through, insistent.  _ Remember _ , it’s like it tells her.  _ Remember. Remember. _

Amity’s breathing grows faster.

_ This place... _

“You all right, Blight?”

Like a spring, Amity turns to the voice and blinks once, twice. She stumbles upon Boscha, standing next to her. For a moment, she had completely forgotten about her. Amity nods weakly and looks into her eyes, hoping to find she doesn’t completely hate her yet.

“You know, Amity?” She says with a smile that doesn't reach her eyes. “You seem like someone else today.”

Boscha turns around and walks by herself, leaving Amity behind. A knot grows in her chest, and Amity doesn’t know how to untie it. This time she doesn’t have any messages from Luz to help her.

* * *

_ This is a disaster. _

Amity feels her body heavy, as if every movement is a great effort, as if she has no more energy left. She’s spent the whole day sticking to the plan Luz had made for them as if she was taking an exam. She’s tried so hard to make sure that everything went well so that she could live up to both Boscha and Luz's expectations, and in the end, she’s done nothing but ruin everything.

‘You haven't ruined anything, you idiot’, Amity can almost hear Luz's voice scolding her if she knew about her gloomy thoughts. ‘You'll do better next time, I'm sure!’ She imagines her voice full of confidence and she can almost feel her close, even though she's miles away. Even so, the heaviness in her stomach doesn't go away.

Amity hasn’t stopped trying to come up with excuses in her head all day, but the worst part is that she’s completely ignored Boscha's feelings. It was her – well, Luz – who asked her out. And in theory Amity should be jumping out of joy that she’s been able to spend an entire day with who she thought was her crush. To have a date with her. After all, this is what she’s been wishing for a long time, and today has finally happened.  _ Then, why do I feel this empty? _

They’re on a high bridge across a river. From here, they can see the skyscrapers of the city centre, where they were a while ago. All around them the countless windows of the city's buildings reflect the light of the sunset and shine with yellow, orange, pink, violet tones in all directions. Again, a vague sense of familiarity shyly emerges somewhere in Amity’s memory. She clenches her fists a little, helplessly. Amity looks again at Boscha's back, who walks without saying anything in front of her.

Her pink hair is shining with the colors of the sunset, the high heels and the shirt that seem brand new... She probably has bothered to dress nicely, at least for today, just for Amity. She bites her lip. When she realizes this, she feels a tightness in her chest and she feels that she has trouble breathing, as if she didn't have enough oxygen. Amity stretches out her arm towards her, like trying to reach the surface of the sea, she makes a huge effort to find the right words.

“Boscha,” Amity calls her shyly. She doesn't turn around. “Are you hungry? Do you want us to go and have dinner in...?”

“I think we should call it a day,” she cuts her off with a surprisingly gentle tone of voice she’s never heard her use before. This makes Amity feel worse.

“Okay,” she says, barely a whisper, stopping on her tracks. Amity can feel the tears start to build up behind her eyes, but she won't cry in front of her.

Boscha has finally turned to face her, but the rays of light at her back darken her face, and Amity can't see her well.

“Hey, Amity,” she says, taking a step toward her with an unusual compassionate smile that doesn't reach her eyes and that tightens the knot in Amity’s chest. “Can I tell you something?”

“Yes,” Amity nods, confused.

“I always thought you liked me, didn't you?”

She says, in the most natural way in the world, while the last rays of the sun gleam lilac sparkles from her eyes. Amity’s heart beats faster, she feels a blush blossoming under her cheeks again. She looks away, biting her lip and shaking her head firmly. She doesn’t think she can say anything that makes sense right now. It hammers, her heart against her ribs.  _ Did she know all this time!? How!? _

“But now you like someone else, don't you?”

Her voice grows even quieter, nearly a whisper, while a slight smile, this time real, lights up her face.

“No!” Amity denies, still shaking her head. “You're wrong!”

She notices the palms of her hands getting wet and tries to think of anything to focus her attention on other than those eyes that look at her with amusement.

“Really, now?” She gets closer and looks at Amity with suspicion, as if this was a game, though Amity is having a terrible time. She feels her cheeks burning.

“I’m serious!” Amity stutters, pushing her away. Boscha laughs. “I don't like anyone else!”

_ I like somebody else? Not at all! Impossible! _

But, for a brief moment, pictures of Luz, her playful brown eyes go through Amity’s head. Just a second, a tiny moment in time. 

Amity tries her best to push them away, but it's pointless. In a split second, her whole head is full of memories of her. Of the soft and firm touch of her cheeks, of her reflection on the lake, of her other half at the top of the mountain, of her photographs as a child spread all over the sanctuary, of her messages on Amity’s phone. ‘I'm with you, even if I'm not physically there’ **.**

_ No, no this can't be.  _

_ I don't...  _

_ I can't... _

Amity feels her chest exploding with a thousand colors, with the colors of the sunset, the colors of the braiding of the sanctuary, the brown of Luz’s eyes, the golden of Amity’s, the blue of the comet. Amity’s body trembles, it shivers at the thought. Among all the emotions that collapse, are destroyed when they crash and are formed again inside her, like rivers that flow, like bonds, Amity finds Boscha's gaze. She smiles at her, like she already knows the answer to the questions that have been haunting Amity’s head for months. She stares at her with acceptance, with understanding, with resolution.

“Well, it doesn't matter,” she adds as she moves her face away from Amity’s. “I had a surprisingly great time today. Thank you, Blight. See you at work, huh?”

Boscha waves her hand, again with her usual arrogant expression, and walks ahead, leaving Amity alone. 

She opens her hands that she held in closed fists, and she watches the small half-moon marks that her nails have shaped in her skin, with a slight sting of pain. She seeks an answer, something to say, anything in her mind that until a second ago had been boiling with thoughts, but she finds nothing. The most absolute, white and empty nothing. She’s out of words. While she tries to react, Boscha has already come down the steps of the bridge and got lost in the crowd gathered in front of the station.

Amity watches the sunset alone, how the last rays of sunlight of the day are lost within the huge buildings, feeling as if she’d been abandoned at the end of the summer holidays. To her pointy ears comes the steady noise of cars driving on either side of the bridge, the mixed voices of passing people, the distant but lingering babble of Hexside City. Above, the sun hides behind a needle tower next to a housing building, flashing like the light of a lantern that's about to run out of batteries. And she understands, because she feels that way too. Amity stays still for a while watching the light intensely, as if she could recover something she doesn't have anymore, until it completely fades away.

She gets the feeling that she should be doing other things. As if there's something really important that she’s forgetting, something she should be pouring all her energy and all her soul into.  _ But I don't know what it is.  _ Amity sighs, exhausted, wondering if she knows anything at all at this point.

_ Yes, there's something. _

What Amity does know is that she wants to go back to Luz's village, with its towering mountains, its autumn scent, and it's peaceful evenings. 

Switching with Luz is pretty much the only way she can reach her. Other than the messages they leave each other, of course. It was awkward and irritating at first, at least for Amity, but now she feels different. Luz and her are linked in a special way. They’re something unique, a rare event that doesn't happen every day. They both share life experiences. When they swap bodies, Amity can see the world through her violet eyes, touch her world with her hands, feel her emotions in her chest. 

_ We are... we're connected, forming a bond. _ Amity remembers Eda talking about bonds. Paths that unite, intertwine and create ties between people, between everything that touches your soul.  _ Has Luz touched my soul? Are our lives so hopelessly intertwined?  _ At any other time, this idea would've scared Amity and even annoyed her, that her life is in someone else's hands beside hers. But now she only feels kind of calm. 

_ Because it's Luz _ , Amity says to herself.

She looks at the sky, looking for something even though she doesn’t know what she’s looking for. Amity’s sure with Luz she could easily talk about the chaotic date she’s had.  _ I want to talk to her _ , she thinks.  _ I want to start one of our silly arguments. _ ‘You're terrible at talking to people, and I even wrote for you a lot of helpful links!’ she'd say. ‘First of all, it was you who asked Boscha out on a date, so it's your fault’, Amity would reply. She smiles at this thought.

Amity opens the diary app on her phone to reread the entry Luz left her about the date. She finds that Luz's message still goes on.

**By the time the date is over, the comet will already be visible in the sky. Soooo romantic!**

**Make sure you take her to a high place and watch it together, okay? It must be a beautiful sight. I wish I could be there and see it with you, Amity :)**

**But well, you're going to have the pleasure to enjoy an awesome date and have a great time. Take lots of pictures so I can see it the next time we switch! Best of luck! Remember, be yourself and have fun.**

**After all, watching this comet with your date will be one hell of a view!**

_ The comet? _

Amity looks up at the sky.

The last rays of the sunset are already long gone, the orange tones fade like smoke over the skyscrapers, and the first stars start to be glimpsed as little twinkling dots. In the sky there’s just one big jet flying over the city with a faint noise that reaches Amity’s pointy ears like a murmur. Obviously, there’s no sight of any comet.

“What is she talking about?”

Amity whispers to herself, looking up to the sky and looking for something that she knows she won't find. If there was a comet that was visible to the naked eye, Amity’s sure the new would've been on every TV channel there is and all over the internet. She frowns, wondering. _ Luz must be mistaken, that's all. _

Suddenly, she feels a sting in her heart, sharp and burning pain like a fire dagger twisting in her chest.

She feels like something is trying to reach the surface of her mind again. Remember.  _ Remember _ , Amity can almost feel it whispering to her. But her mind is surrounded by huge stone walls –  _ I don't know what I'm supposed to remember.  _ She doesn’t know why her chest suddenly feels so heavy, as if the weight of the universe had fallen on her shoulders in a split second, shouting in silence that something isn’t going right,  _ that something is very wrong. That I have to… _

Following an impulse, Amity searches through her phone until she finds Luz's phone number. Breathing heavily, she looks at those eleven numbers that light up the screen. That number that she’s tried to call a couple of times since this crazy body exchange started some months ago, always without success. With her fingertip, Amity touches the green button on the screen, calling her. She hears the ringing tone. Her heart beats troubled, she feels how the blood runs through every corner of her body, how every fiber of her being shudders with every second that passes without her answering. And then, the voice of the operator.

**The number you have dialed is not available at this time. Please, try again...**

Amity abruptly moves the phone away from her ear and presses the icon to end the call feeling empty inside.

As she expected, calling doesn't work. She shakes her head. She knew this was going to happen, this isn’t the first time they tried to call each other. Amity sighs and warm air comes out of her soft lips. She rests her hands on the cold metal bar of the bridge, letting the cold sensation spread through her arms, through her body, helping her feel calm again _. I really don't know what's happening to me lately _ . She’s probably just tired. It's been a long day, and a lot of things have gone wrong. She just needs to rest. Amity places her phone away in her pocket, giving up to the thought that she’s not talking to Luz today.

_ Well, it’s okay, _ she says to herself.  _ I'll tell her how ridiculously bad the date went the next time we switch bodies. I'm sure she’ll make one of those jokes of hers and she’ll manage to make me laugh. And I'll also ask her about the comet. What did she mean by that? I’m very curious. Fortunately, I won't have to wait long, probably tomorrow or the day after we'll change again _ . 

Amity thinks of the smell of the chimneys in the village, the touch of the wood with which Gus and her are building their cafeteria; the next classical literature competition at school; the thought of summer arriving and of Gus, Willow, King and her finally bathing and playing in the lake. The reflection of Luz's hazel eyes in the mirror every morning. Amity smiles.  _ Yes, I'll talk to her soon. _

With this thought in mind, she decides to finally go down the steps of the bridge, heading home. Above her head, a half-moon floats, hanging relaxed and pale in the middle of the darkened sky. Lonely, _lost_.

But, for some reason, from that day on the body changes with Luz stopped completely. They never happened again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who've watched the movie: here comes the angst >:)   
> Next chapter on wednesday: Amity will try her best to find a way back to Luz, and two spontaneous people will tag along with her!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amity is resolved to find Luz, and Edric & Emira will be there for moral support & shenanigans :)

With a scraped sound, the tip of the pencil moves quickly across the white paper. Drawing lines. Outlining contours. Shading figures. Leaving a black trail in its way, a dark version of the comet Amity never got to see. She moves the pencil with energy, with speed, with urgency, as if the picture in her mind that she’s trying to draw was to fade away at any moment if she doesn’t hurry enough.

She draws lines. More lines. And more lines. Amity still can't get it to look good enough. Tiny particles of carbon wood stick to the clean paper fibers. A twist here, more shadow on this part, perhaps a softer tone on this side. Little by little, the scene takes shape. The strokes overlap each other, black over black, marking a pattern on the paper. The pages of Amity’s sketchbook are dyed dark. And yet, she’s not satisfied. She still can't picture the landscape that's in her mind.

Every morning Amity follows in the same footsteps as the day before. She gets up, has breakfast, puts on her uniform, combs her hair, makes herself a high ponytail with her orange hair tie, and she leaves home. She gets on the train, full of people because it's rush hour, and goes to school. At school, the boring content of the class isn't enough to keep her attention, and Amity finds herself looking out the same window at the same exact point each day. Also, like every day, a single thought fills her mind. Her heart  _ tightens _ .

She has lunch with Emira and Edric, who try to make her talk day after day, but they barely ever make it. They've also invited Amity to go to coffee shops, but she hasn’t found enough energy in her to say yes. Right now, Amity only has one goal and she can't waste time on anything else. Both of them have noticed her being distant, and though she tries to act normal so that they don't worry, the truth is that she feels a huge tiredness and heaviness on her shoulders at all times of the day, no matter how much or how little she’s rested the night before. That is, except when she’s drawing.

Edric has decided to give Amity some space, and he's stopped asking questions. Emira keeps insisting though, tireless, but Amity knows how much she cares. Part of her blames herself for not telling the twins what's happening to her, but at the same time Amity feels that it's something so intimate, so hers and Luz's, that she doesn’t think she’ll ever tell them. Anyway, they'd probably think Amity’s crazy. And lately, she’s starting to think it herself. She finds it harder and harder to tell what's part of a dream and what's really happened, as if traces of her past were blotted out like watercolors in the rain.

On her way home, Amity walks through the city and looks at the sky, so unpolluted and light blue, endless before her eyes. And so very empty. Day after day, the same lonely sky meets her gaze. And, almost not noticing it, its blue tones are becoming darker every day, and the trees by the roads are dyed with color. Slowly, Amity watches the season change. The world changes, it revolves around her. But she’s still unable to move, seeing how everything shifts and evolves, but she can't seem to go forward.

The night is her favorite time of day. When she gets home, Amity locks herself in her room and draws. She tries with all her heart to perfectly capture the landscapes carved behind her eyelids, sketching every outline, figure and shade to the smallest detail, before they disappear from her memory or blur into the fine line between dream and reality that constantly haunts her, making her doubt her own memories. Above Amity’s desk, on the walls there are dozens of pages with pieces of those sceneries, decorating the room. A river. A coven. A mountain. A giant tree. A bicycle on the road. A bus stop. A lake. The pencil, warm in her hand for having held it for so many hours straight, keeps drawing more and more lines with desperation.  _ This is all I have left _ , Amity thinks to herself as she watches the picture in her mind begin to take shape on paper. _ It has to be perfect. It's not enough yet. _

On top of her desk are spread thick illustrated mountain encyclopedias that she’s borrowed from the library. There are also several rural landscape magazines, opened on random pages. Her phone, on top of all this, is also full of photos of Boiling Isles' mountain ranges. From one photo to another, from a magazine to the encyclopedia and to her phone again, Amity goes frantically through the pictures of mountains, trying to find the peak that matches the one from her memories. But one more night, she can't find it. Amity bites the inside of her cheek, nervously, until she notices the ferrous taste of blood in her mouth. She keeps moving the pencil over the paper, trying to grasp that figure before it vanishes from her head.

The days go on, and Amity keeps looking for something further away every time she looks out the train window on her way to school. And on the way home, at night the moon still hangs lonely in the wide dark sky. There are days when the rain brings with it the smell of asphalt, and they wake up in Amity the memories of a warm rain bathing her cheeks in a distant place. 

There are days when the weather is wonderful and the clouds float brightly, as once upon a time they lay beneath her feet. Days when the wind, mixed with the yellowish sand, blows with strength and almost brings with it the faint flickering sound of metal from an amulet at the doors of a sanctuary somewhere far away. Every morning Amity boards the train with a feeling of yearning bathing her chest, filling the edges of her body with an exhausting persistence, and she tells herself that she’s one day closer, that she doesn’t have to wait for much longer. 

The day-to-day things of life bring cloudy flashbacks to her mind, scenes that Amity can't connect but that throb in her trying to tell her they're real, to not let them go, and she does her best to hold on to them. Day after day, Amity finds herself in the same place, looking through the window of the school not hearing a single word of what the teacher says.  _ Who am I?  _ Sometimes Amity wonders, thinking back to the words she once wrote in Luz's notebook.  _ Because I find it harder and harder to recognize myself each passing day. _

She also does her shifts at the restaurant. As if she was a robot, Amity takes orders, brings food, tends to the cash register and cleans up. She’s so mentally exhausted that a little physical strain means nothing to her at this point. Amity works, works and works until uncertainty and worry disappear from her head, and she almost feels grateful. Sometimes her shifts at the restaurant match Boscha's. Her commanding personality and unkempt pink hair are hard to miss, and when she walks into the room it still looks like all eyes turn to her. Still, the butterflies that she once used to wake up in Amity had flown away many days ago. Boscha keeps on being her friend, though. She comes up to her and tells Amity all about the latest gossip, asking her how she is and trying to act like always. Amity tries hard to look her in the eye, project a smile and talk to her normally. Even so, her words still dance somewhere deep in Amity’s head.  _ "Now you like someone else, don't you?"  _ The knot in Amity’s chest gets tighter.

The days pass, one after the other, lazy and with idleness. Some nights it's so humid that it’s almost like summer, and Amity gets the vague feeling that she wanted to be bathing in some lake with people she doesn’t remember well. Other nights it's cold and she needs to put on a jacket. Amity snuggles up in bed under the blankets and she remembers that at one time her body used to be warmer. 

But whatever the weather may be, every night Amity sits at her desk and draws, draws for hours and hours until those landscapes that flicker in her mind are neatly pictured on paper in her hands. A stroke, another stroke, a line, a darkened area, a sketch, another. The drops of sweat slide nimbly down Amity’s cheeks, down her jaw, and fall with a tentative sound on the sketchbook, blurring the lines. But she keeps drawing, night after night. Slowly but surely, the scenery of the village Amity saw as Luz starts to take shape.  _ I'm getting closer and closer,  _ she tells herself, excited. _ Please, just hold on a little longer. _

Lately, on her way home from school or work, Amity has started to walk long distances instead of taking the train or bus. She looks at the buildings that are constantly everywhere she goes. At the people who slide into the crowd around her, like the water in a river. Also, on rare occasions Amity goes out on the street with Emira and Edric, she looks at the city before them. At the flight of the birds over their heads. The sky changing its shade every sunset. The Hexside City landscape changes every day, and Amity had never noticed like she does now. Without her realizing it, huge cranes have been showing up with the passing of days, lifting gigantic iron and glass structures everywhere. Building new buildings. Destroying the old ones. And above them all, the crescent moon hovers with its lonely message and its whitish halo surrounding it, brightening the immensity of the starry sky.

“Finally...”

Amity whispers to herself, to the drawing she holds between her hands at eye level, incredibly detailed. 

The contoured outline of the mountains, exactly like the one that’s hiding in her mind. The layout of the houses and their shades, the position of the clock tower in the village, the stone paths that slide between them, the long metal masts with the megaphones of the town hall on them, the forests that surround the village and cover the slopes of the mountains. And in the center, the enormous lake of calm and peaceful waters that Amity has visited so much in her dreams. Not only on the wall in front of the desk, but all over the walls of the room she’s been placing drawings and sketches of the town, but this one that Amity is holding is the living image of what she’s looking for. Her masterpiece. Her key to finding  _ her _ .

Amity has managed to replicate almost perfectly the landscape of this village by the lake. A village that, while she can't remember its name, it's carved in her heart.

“This weekend I'm going on a trip,” Amity whispers aloud, looking at the drawing with the pride dancing in the grin of her face. “Just wait for me a little longer.”

Right as she says these words, with the decision already made, Amity can feel the stress and fatigue physically leaving her body, like a balloon that loses all the air inside of it and gets flexible and movable again. Now she’s full of another feeling, one that overflows in her chest and keeps the silly smile on her lips. Expectation. Illusion. Nerves. Pride. The weekend is so far away and yet so close, her heart can't wait. For the first time in a long time, Amity falls into bed on her back and gets to relax. One by one, the muscles of her body unravel, and she takes a deep breath.

It's been a long time. 

Endless classes in the morning, hours of work in the restaurant without rest, and in her mind there was only one thought, meant for a single person Amity had no way of reaching. Since the day of her date with Boscha, she hadn't switched bodies with Luz again. _What if something had happened to her?_ _What if she wasn't all right? What if she needed help?_ Though Amity knows she's obviously capable of taking care of herself, she can't help but worry. _What if she's fine, but the body swaps are over for one reason or another? What if they never happen again? Does that mean I'll never see her again? And why are my memories getting fuzzier and fuzzier?_

When all this madness started, Amity was pissed and upset that Luz was in her body and that she had to pretend to be her. It bothered her that her life was in the hands of someone other than Amity. And she didn't like Luz's carefree, playful personality. But after so many months of trading bodies with her, learning about her life, seeing her world through her eyes, all that is long gone. Now, if there's anybody who has to live these life experiences with her, Amity wants it to be Luz. If she has to see the world with other eyes, she wants them to be Luz's. And if she has to hold the other half of someone, Amity wants it to be the other half of Luz. And let Luz hold hers. Before, Amity could close her eyes and the next day it would be her hazel stare and her tangled brown hair that she’d see in the mirror. Now, she never finds her tangles in her hair or her carefree laughter in her ears.

Amity rolls over in bed, turning herself into a little ball, placing her forehead on the cold wall. She fights back the tears behind her heavy eyelids as she tells herself that the drawing is finished, she’ll see her again soon. Amity is going to see her. And that she’ll finally tell her everything she can't now, cause she's so far away, so out of her reach.

“I miss you, Luz,” Amity whispers, her voice as thin as a thread, as if by magic her words would travel to Luz. “I  _ will  _ find you, I promise.”

Today as well, like every night just before she goes to sleep, Amity makes a wish.

Still, the next morning she doesn’t wake up as Luz.

* * *

By the time the first rays of sunlight of the day shyly enter the curtains of her room, Amity is already awake and dressed to start the day as soon as possible.

The first thing she does is gently take off the drawings she’s placed on the walls of the room one by one and places them in a simple purple folder. Finally, she takes the incredibly detailed drawing she finished last night and watches it for a second with pride.  _ Yes _ , Amity thinks,  _ you'll be the one leading me to her _ . 

She places it carefully with the others and closes the folder, making sure the drawings don't fold or fall, and she stuffs it into the black and grey backpack with fish design that she uses on her trips. Amity rummages through her closet and grabs comfortable clothes for three days, and several pairs of underwear. She puts everything, along with the sketchbook and the folder, in the backpack. Amity looks around the room, thinking what else she might need.  _ Maybe it's cold there _ , she wonders. She also takes a thick jacket and puts it on. And, as Amity always does just before she goes out, she ties her hair back in a high ponytail with her orange hair tie. Then she leaves the house.

Hexside City’s long-distance train station is full of people, even though it's so early in the morning. People in suits go from one place to another in a hurry, and there are also some groups of friends who, like Amity, go with hikers' backpacks to some part of the Demon Realm. Amity buys the ticket and heads to platform four, taking confident steps.

_ Tin, tin, tiiin. _

The music of the megaphones, to draw the attention of the passengers, rings throughout the station announcing the departure or entry of a new train. Amity can't hear well what it says, the words are drowned out and sound far away, lost in the babble of conversations, phones and noises of the flood of people all around that is swallowing her. She focuses on listening to the rhythmic sound of her shoes on the cold marble floor, resolutely walking to her destination.

Then, Amity freezes.

_ I can't believe what I'm seeing. _

“What are you two doing here?” Amity manages to say, completely stunned. She notices how her pointy ears bend down considerably. She frowns.

Right in front of Amity, with complicit and proud smiles dancing on their faces, stand Emira and Edric.

“We thought you might need help,” Edric says. “Or company.”

Edric, with fancy shoes, tight pants, though somewhat more comfortable than the ones he usually wears, and his sunglasses hanging from the collar of his shirt, gives Amity a bright smile. His hair is scruffier than usual, as if he hadn't even tried to comb it this morning. As early as it is, Amity wouldn't be surprised if he'd gotten up a short time ago. Yet there's no trace of sleep or tiredness in him, who looks at her with innocence drawn in his golden eyes.

“You're crazy if you think I was going to let you do something like this alone, Mittens.”

Emira, by his side, puffs dramatically as she shakes her head. Her golden gaze is staring at Amity, frowning slightly. Still, Amity can't find any harsh or angry feelings, only the deepest concern and interest. They’ve been family long enough to know that if Emira's here, it's because she wants to help. She wears a short light green and white dress, stylish but comfortable, very different from the clothes she usually wears. It seems that she really knows what she's here to do. She taps quickly with her foot on the floor, as if urging Amity to say something.

“What are you doing here?”

Amity repeats, too confused to articulate another phrase at this point. She does know what they've come to do, but she needs to hear it from them to finally believe it.

“Isn't it obvious?”

The little wrinkles on Emira's frown disappear and her expression relaxes. She takes a step toward Amity, getting closer. Edric mirrors her. In the boy’s smile, Amity only finds sympathy and optimism.

“We’re here to go with you!”

* * *

“You've been acting strange for a few days. Edric and I were worried about you, but you didn't reply to anything and you were kind of absent. We didn't know what to do,” Emira shakes her head weakly while explaining. A small sting of guilt breaks through Amity’s chest. “Then Edric thought we should talk to Boscha, and when she told me that you had changed a shift at work, I knew there was something else going on.”

“Edric!”

Amity fulminates him with her gaze, accusing him of giving her away. Her brother raises his hands in a peaceful gesture, but shrugs, as if to say ‘It was a good idea and I regret nothing’, and Amity partly understands him, because Emira can be very intimidating and they were worried. But she still gets angry. This isn’t how she planned to start the trip. And now everything gets much more complicated.

“And if you're here,” Amity says to Emira, who looks at her confused, “and you're here too,” Amity turns to Edric, who tilts his head, “who does my shifts at the restaurant?”

“Oh, don't worry about it,” Edric leans back on his seat with a carefree aura, smiling and waving his hand. Coming from him, that actually worries Amity more.

“I've asked Boscha to cover for you at the restaurant.”

Emira says then, rummaging through her purse and taking out her phone. She puts it in front of Amity’s face and plays a video in which Boscha shows up, with a confident smile on her face. ‘I got it, Blight! You owe me big time’ she says, raising her thumb to anchor the message. 'And when you come back, I want you to tell me every juicy detail’ she adds.

“I hate both of you...”

Amity grunts, reclining her head on the seat and closing her eyes. Of course, she doesn’t really feel what she says. She’s just upset that they have meddled in her stuff. Amity had everything so well planned to the very last detail that it bothers her that it's not going as she thought it would. But now, the three of them sitting in the comfortable, fluffy train seats, surrounded by jacketed people and travelers with excessively large backpacks, with the huge window next to them showing a landscape moving at dizzying speed, Amity knows she can’t do much to change the situation.

“Excuse me?” Emira leans over, glaring at Amity. “What's that supposed to mean?”

“Are you really angry that we came?” Edric’s eyes reveal some guilt, and for a moment Amity feels bad about saying that. She shakes her head.

“No, no. I'm sorry,” She whispers, playing with the zipper of her jacket. “I just thought I'd do this alone. “

Amity appreciates them worrying about her to the point of wanting to come along, but this trip was supposed to be something special. She was going to heroically find Luz and fix this situation they’re in. But now, with them here, Amity’s going to have to pretend that the story she told Emira is real.

When she decided to make this trip, Amity planned to be away for three days. She was going to miss classes today, Friday. And using the weekend, go three days to the Boiling Isles looking for a remote village. She hadn't told Boscha anything, she only asked her to change her shift. She seemed okay and didn't ask her anything personal. But with Emira, it wasn't that easy. When Amity told her she wasn’t going to school on Friday, she started asking her a thousand questions that Amity didn't know how to answer without telling her the truth. She ended up making up that she had to visit an acquaintance in the Boiling Isles and she asked her to keep the secret while Amity was away. Emira may be very insistent, but she's respectful when she needs to be, so she didn't say much more.

“Don't be like that, Mittens. We came here because we were worried,” Emira replies with a completely calm expression, while Edric nods vehemently from behind. “We couldn't leave you alone, what if it's a scam?”

“A scam...?”

Amity tilts her head, puzzled. Edric, sitting in front of Emira, leans towards Amity and stares with curiosity.

“You're going to meet an internet friend, aren't you, Mittens?”

The cheerful tone with which he said it totally surprises Amity. She notices a blush climbing up her cheeks, and she rubs them with the palms of her hands to try and make it disappear, opening her eyes wide.

The night before just before bedtime, Emira showed up in Amity’s room. It all started off as an avalanche of questions again, questions to which Amity barely had any answers. But a part of her felt bad seeing Emira so worried and not telling her the truth, so she told her a white lie. She said that this girl Amity was going to see had met her on social networks.  _ It's the closest thing to what really happened, isn't it? _ Emira wasn't completely satisfied, but it seemed to be enough and she didn't ask anything else. Amity thought she would've been suspecting anything by now, but when she saw her this morning at the station Amity realized how wrong she was.

“Well, it's not exactly that.”

Amity scratches the back of her head with distraction, desperately looking for another topic to talk about. But if they're going to come with her, she guesses it's only natural that they want to know who Amity is going to visit. She sighs weakly, still with her cheeks warm.

“As I see it,” the playful expression on Edric’s face doesn't inspire confidence. A chill creeps up Amity’s spine slowly. “You're probably going to meet a _girl_ you've met on a dating site!”

If Amity was drinking tea, she’s sure she would've spit it all out.

“That's not it!” She shouts, getting up slightly off her seat and leaning towards them both. Her voice sounds several tones higher and more aggressive than usual, and out of the corner of her eye, Amity sees some people looking in their direction, alarmed. She feels her ears burning red in shame as her heart beats faster. Amity gently punches Edric on the arm, angrily. “It's not that, you idiot.”

“Well, you've certainly been acting rather odd lately,” Emira adds, shrugging. Amity can't help but notice the trace of worry she tries to hide in her gaze as she takes a chocolate stick out of a Pocky's pack and offers it to her. Amity takes it, grumbling. “Don't worry Mittens, we'll take care of you from afar.”

“I don't need you to take care of me.”

Amity groans, resting her head on the back of the seat and nibbling at the chocolate, distracted.  _ Clearly, this trip isn’t going to go at all like I’d planned.  _ She resigns herself to this thought, knowing that both of them are more stubborn than Amity is and have decided to help her. She only hopes that, with or without them, the trip will be a success and she can find Luz.

“Then blame mom and dad for the siblings they’ve given you.”

Edric shrugs. Amity rolls her eyes. But instead of getting upset again, this time she tries to place herself in their places. To see this situation through their eyes, to better understand their reasons. She thinks of how she’s been acting around them lately. Amity hardly spoke to Boscha, beyond replying when it was her who started a conversation with Amity, because she still felt kinda bad for how wrong everything went on their date. And with Emira and Edric, it hasn't been much different. Amity has been rejecting them for weeks every time they asked her to hang out, and when she agreed, she used to be staring far away and with her head in the clouds, almost not paying any attention to them. A slight feeling of guilt wriggles in her chest. If it had been them and not Amity acting that way, she would’ve been worried, too. Amity would also have gone to the end of the world for them.  _ God, if I'm literally going to the end of the world for Luz, a girl I barely know! _

With the corner of her eye, Amity watches them. Emira has turned to Edric, extending the little Pocky box towards him and offering him chocolate with a peaceful expression. The look Edric gives back is bright, as always, as he nods and picks up a bunch of chocolate sticks. Amity can't help but smile.  _ No,  _ she replies mentally to Edric,  _ mom and dad gave me the most obstinate, but the best possible siblings. _

The loudspeaker of the train breaks her chain of thoughts. With a soft, relaxed voice, the message echoes in the train car and several other passengers, like Amity, raise their heads slightly to hear it properly. Her smile grows bigger.

“Next station: the Boiling Isles...”

* * *

The changing of bodies with Luz started one ordinary day. Suddenly, without warning, Amity stumbled upon her world as she opened her eyelids. A new world, so similar to Amity’s, but completely different at the same time. And, in the same way, it ended one random day. Suddenly, without warning, Amity can no longer find that warmth she had grown to like, to love. 

It started and ended, and even though it lasted for months, she still doesn’t know why something like this happened to them. She hasn’t found any book, any forum, newspaper, research or study that can give her a logical explanation. And when it was over, Amity almost lost any hope that she would ever understand it. As the weeks went by, she started to suspect more and more that everything had been part of a fantastic dream. For some reason, the majority of her memories of that scenery, of that life, seem more and more distant, unreal and fuzzy. It's getting harder and harder for her to grasp them, to cling to them. To tell if they really happened, or if they are just the products of her mind, a tired mind that misses a bubbly tan girl Amity never got to meet.

Even so, and while the doubts plant the seed of insecurity in her, something keeps her faith, her hope. Something that reassures Amity that everything was real. That Luz is real. She has proof – Amity is quite sure that she didn’t write those weird entries she has in her diary app, about those days she doesn’t remember. That was Luz, she’s certain. And also the date with Boscha, Amity knows that she would never have asked her out on her own. 

She’s real, Amity repeats herself from time to time to never forget the weight and truth of these words. Luz's a girl who really exists, Amity herself has felt her warmth and her heartbeat. She heard her breathing. She’s seen up close the vivid red that covers her eyelids, and she’s heard her fresh voice ringing in Amity’s ears. If, after all, she isn't alive, then nothing is. Luz was always so full of life that this is the only possible conclusion. Luz was real.

Luz  _ is  _ real.

And it's because of this, and especially because the change of bodies has stopped so abruptly and strangely, that Amity is worried. Being unable to control the situation, not knowing what's going on and having no way of reaching her, makes her chest feel uneasy. She’s tried to call her again, but it never worked, and it's getting more frustrating. That's why she decided to make this little trip. Cause she has to find her, Amity has to see that she is fine. 

On the bad nights when she almost believes that everything is part of a dream and that nothing has been real, Amity clings to her memory, to her. If something has happened to her, if she's sick, or even if she's had an accident and that's why they don't swap anymore, Amity wants to be there for her. Besides, Amity knows Luz. She knows that she, as exaggerated and dramatic as she is, will be a hundred times more upset about this situation than Amity is.  _ Is she worried about me? _ A little voice whispers inside of her, and something wriggles in the lower part of her belly, a warm sensation.  _ Does she want to meet me as much as I do? _ Amity feels like a little girl on her first school trip, wanting to get there as soon as possible. Craving to find her. 

But there's a little problem.

“Wait a second,” Emira almost shouts, once again clearly bothered and pointing her fork at Amity angrily. “Are you telling me that you wanted to go alone to find some random girl you haven’t met before, and you don’t even know where she lives?”

“I  _ do  _ know where she lives, though,” Amity replies defensively, lowering her gaze to the Tupperware of food resting on her lap, on the seat of a different train heading south of the Boiling Isles. “What I don't know is... the exact name of the place.”

“So how did you intend to find her, Mittens?” Emira sighs dramatically and falls on the back of the seat. ‘I'm the only competent person on this train’, she seems to think. Amity hardly blames her.

“Wait, what was your plan again?” Edric looks at Amity eager to hear what she has to say, giving her more credit than Emira has. Amity thanks him in her mind.

“My only clue is the landscape of the village,” she admits. She sees Emira looking at her again with the corner of her eye, still irritated. Amity digs into her backpack for the detailed drawing she finished less than a week ago, and she shows it to him with pride. “But I've made this drawing, I hope someone can recognize it.”

“It's very good, Mittens!” Edric exclaims, quickly swallowing a bite of his sandwich and coughing a little. Amity chuckles.

“The drawing is fantastic, Amity,” gently placing both hands on her lap, Emira's golden and now serene eyes find Amity’s. “But why don't you call her and ask her instead?”

“You say it as if I hadn't tried it a thousand times already,” Amity whispers, placing the paper back in the backpack with a feeling of gloom.

“Wait, you can't even  _ reach  _ her?” Edric says a bit louder than he should have, gesturing with the sandwich still in his hand. “Not a call? Not a message? Not even by mail? Nothing?”

“No, I can't,” Amity shakes her head. “That's why I'm going to see her. I want to see if she's okay.”

That's the most sincere thing Amity has said all along the trip. She finds it feels good to get her true feelings out, even if just for a second. 

She feels their sympathetic glances swing over her. At another time they would've bothered her, but now Amity is just grateful that they're here without saying anything else. The train stops with a screeching sound that makes the wagon shake. They’ve made it to another station, they’ll have to get off at the next one. The people around them move in their seats, and some leave dragging heavy travel backpacks. Warm air from the outside seeps in as the doors of the train open, mixing with the cold of the air conditioning around them. These are the last strokes of autumn.

“Don't worry, Mittens,” Emira places one hand gently on Amity’s, resting on the armrest of her seat. She looks at her and finds her eyes shining with determination. The royal golden of her irises has never been so warm. “We'll help you find her.”

* * *

“This is amazing! Mittens, come and see this!”

It's past noon. The train came to its last stop and that's where they got off at a local Boiling Isles line station. The sun brought them the mild heat of late autumn as they walked into the station, looking for a map to guide them. 

Edric squealed like a six-year-old when he came across a person in a robot costume walking around the place, probably on their way to some strange convention. The sound of Emira's phone taking pictures echoes all over the tiny station. Amity sighs loudly, looking at a map she found at the entrance, making a great effort to ignore the boy’s voice calling out to her.  _ Why can't he take it seriously for a second? _

“Guys, aren't you supposed to be here to help me?” Amity says. “You know, like actually  _ being helpful _ and stuff?”

She turns around, resting her hands on her hips and looking at the scene. Edric, posing with the robot – which apparently follows Edric’s game quite happily – making silly poses, while Emira takes pictures of them with her new generation phone and its extra HD camera.

“Yeah, but look how cool this robot is!” Edric exclaims with a bright smile. “Now stand like this. Come on, Em, another picture!”

“On it,” Emira says. “On it.”

What surprises Amity the most is that Emira is playing along with him. She shakes her head, turning back to the map and trying to think clearly. She massages her temples with tiredness.  _ Something tells me these two aren't going to be of much help.  _ But she’s not going to let that shake her spirit.

Amity’s plan is as follows.

Since she doesn’t know the exact location of Luz's village – and, for some reason, it's as if the name had been completely erased from her memory –, they’ll all three go by train to find some area with a landscape that sounds familiar to Amity. She just needs to see the outline of those mountains that she’s seen so many times in her dreams, and then everything will be easier. 

From there, Amity is sure that their goal won't be so far away. And from that moment on, Amity’s sketches and drawings will be her best clues.  _ And the only ones I have _ , Amity sighs to herself. But they have to be enough to find her. She remembers that there were train tracks near the village, so she thought that walking next to the railroad is the best option. And since they got off at the station that's further south, this time they’ll be walking north, showing Amity’s drawings to the people of the area, hoping the view sounds familiar and they can tell them where to find it.

The truth is it's not the most foolproof plan in the world, but it's all Amity has. 

The  _ modus operandi  _ is so ambiguous and uncertain that you can hardly call it a plan. It's more like a hope of running into the right place or the right person at the right time, a stroke of good luck that will lead them in the correct direction, that will lead them to Luz. 

Amity clings to the drawing of the village that she now holds in her slightly trembling hands.  _ There aren't many towns by a lake like this one, are there? _ She has nothing to base her trust on, no secret weapon to get her where she wants to go, no ace up her sleeve when everything seems lost. She doesn’t have any sign that this is going to work. But what Amity does have is the picture of Luz imprinted behind her eyelids. The sound of her voice, the touch of her skin. The hope of seeing her again. Of hearing her again. Of touching her again. But, this time, with her own body. To hold her, never to let her go again.

So, with her motivation as high as the clouds that protect them from the sun, Amity starts taking big steps to the only taxi in front of the station, ready to talk to the driver and ask them about a town lost in the middle of nowhere.

* * *

“I'll never find her...”

With a completely gloomy feeling weighing her in the chest like an iron anvil sinking into the sea, Amity sits at the bus stop and bows her head, letting her ears fall weakly forward. All the optimism that overflowed in every pore of her skin a few hours ago, when they got off the train and started talking to people, has completely vanished.

The person Amity asked first was the taxi driver. He told her, in a strangely rude way, that he didn't know the place. Amity understood, and she didn't let that discourage her. 

Then they went to the nearest town, and there they asked as many people as they could. There was no luck at the police station. Neither in the 24-hour shop, nor in the souvenir shop, in the inn, in the restaurant or in the bar. Amity has asked farmers, primary school students, high school students, the elderly, elegantly dressed people, women and children... all the people she could find, regardless of their appearance or age. But everything has been completely in vain. Some have been blunt; others have been very kind and have tried to help. Others have been indifferent, and others were confused. Some even showed Amity photographs and maps of the area, but nothing was familiar. With every person she’s spoken to who couldn't tell her what she was looking for, her hope has slowly faded. The optimism that was boiling in her chest has slowly quietened and died down. 

Still, Amity hasn’t given up. She thinks she’s talked to more people in one day than she’s talked to in a whole year. On top of that, they’ve learned that the local buses in this area of the Boiling Isles come one every two hours, so they couldn't move as fast as Amity had planned.

Tired and discouraged, she decided to change her strategy.

When the bus arrived, Amity felt a small wave of renewed hope and rushed up, wanting to talk to other passengers and ask them about her drawing. But it turned out that they were alone. Finally, with no strength in her body to ask the driver, they sat in the back of the bus and didn't move until they reached the end of the ride, a distant and apparently deserted country area. Amity sighs weakly, letting the air pass through her dehydrated lips, and she wonders if they can really find the village at this pace.  _ I promised that I'd find you _ , Amity thinks to herself, but each passing hour that thought seems more distant and even impossible to her, almost like a dream.

While she was talking to everyone that passed her by, Edric and Emira have been playing word chains, playing cards, games on the phone, ‘rock, paper or scissors’ and eating. They've kind of helped, yes. Emira has talked to more people than Edric, and she’s cared about checking the bus lines, keeping Amity hydrated and telling her to eat something once in a while. But after a few hours, like Edric, she also got tired and joined his games, while Amity kept searching desperately.  _ At least they're having a good time on this trip _ , Amity thinks, though that doesn't make her feel any better. It makes her feel more alone. Especially because they fell asleep on the bus ride, both resting their heads on one of Amity’s shoulders. But she didn't want to wake them up, they must've been tired. Looking at their relaxed faces, Edric with his mouth slightly open and Emira with the most peaceful expression Amity has ever seen on her, she lets them rest. After all, they are here for her.

Ed and Em, who are now drinking sodas sitting by her side at another bus stop, turn to Amity as they hear the muffled tone in her voice and speak at the same time.

“Where has your determination gone, Mittens?” Emira scowls.

“You can't give up just yet, Mittens!” Edric waves his arms vigorously.

Amity sighs so loudly that for a moment, she fears that her lungs will come out; full of this lightly fresh air that marks the end of one season and the beginning of another. She clenches her fists in her lap, gathering there all the helplessness she feels, letting it build up until her nails hurt her flesh. She opens her hands slowly, releasing that emotion, waiting for the autumnal breeze to take it away and renew her strength. Let hope and optimism come back to her. A delightful smell fills her nose.  _ Food _ . Her stomach growls, upset, and then Amity realizes that she didn't listen to Emira the whole trip and hasn’t eaten anything since this morning on the train. She shakes her head, trying to clear her thoughts.

“You know what? You guys are right. I just need a break,” Amity says, standing up with resolution. She points to the road ahead of them. “Would you like to get something to eat?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter this saturday, Amity will learn the truth about what happened to Luz.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amity finds the truth of what happened to Luz.
> 
> This is the angstiest chapter in the fic, so beware.  
> TW // mentions of death, panic attacks, overall deep emotional hurting.

“Some Boiling Isles noodles for me.”

Emira, with her usual aura of elegance that enfolds every movement she makes, places the restaurant's fine menu on the table and gently rests her clasped hands on it. Edric nods with conviction.

“For me some Boiling Isles noodles too.”

“Ah... Then...” Amity turns her head towards the table absent-mindedly, looking away from the window and the stream of thoughts in which she’d been buried until a second ago. “I'll have one of those, too.”

“Three noodles, got it!

The waitress answers, a girl that Amity thinks will be more or less their age, with an energetic voice that sounds all over the place. With the corner of her eye, Amity sees her walking away to the kitchen with quick steps. She wears a white apron from where she's taken a small notebook and a pen to write down their order, but beneath it, her clothes a combination of blue and orange with a grey top that Amity finds too trendy to be worn by someone who works in the middle of nowhere. She leans against the kitchen door, fidgeting with the fine cloth of the apron.

“Three noodles, Jerbo.” she repeats.

“I'm on it,” Amity hears a calm male voice further away in the kitchen. “Thank you, Viney.”

“No problem!” Amity can almost hear her smile as she goes inside. “Let me help you.”

She practically jumps inside the other room, and the door closes behind her, so Amity doesn’t hear anything else. She turns her attention back to the landscape beyond the window on her right, her head resting on the back of her hand, oblivious to the conversation between Emira and Edric.

The waitress -Viney- comes back after a while with three bowls of noodles. Amity is almost surprised that, seeing how tiny she is, she didn't drop one along the way. When she places it in front of them, Emira's stomach rumbles and Viney laughs. Emira blushes slightly and mutters a ‘thank you’ that, Amity thinks, only she could hear. The waitress winks at her, which makes Emira's blush deepen, and goes away without saying anything else, and Amity starts to eat. 

The noodles are  _ delicious. _ Apparently, Boiling Isles noodles have tenderloin steak, vegetables and a lot of soft and delicious noodles in a white bowl with a design that reminds of a Greek pattern. As Amity eats, she feels the energy slowly come back to her body. Drop by drop, the warmth of the bowl runs through her from head to toe; clearing away the despair and worry she’d been bearing when she walked into the restaurant. Amity feels like a phone that after long hours of activity has been plugged into the power grid and can rest while she chews the noodles and vegetables avidly. Still, her head keeps spinning. And, after much thought, she comes to a single decision.

“Hey, Emira,” Amity says, the words taste bitter in her mouth. “Do you think we can come back to Hexside City today?”

The girl lifts her head from her bowl and looks at Amity in disbelief, tilting her head a little as if she hadn't heard right. Amity focuses her gaze on her golden eyes, so confused and, a second later, so frustrated, like the feeling that dances between Amity’s heart and lungs and almost squeezes her chest. Without needing to say anything to her, she understands. She understands the thought that's going through Amity’s head because she’s also been thinking about it. There are no more exits. There are no more people to ask. There are no more clues. There are no more options. 

_ There's nothing else I can do now _ , Amity tells herself with her fists clenched under the table, feeling helpless, wondering at what point she lost all the determination she had the night before and even this morning.

“At this hour it's going to be hard to find a train,” Emira shakes her head. As if agreeing with her, a night bird – an owl, probably – hoots outside the window. Amity didn't realize that the sun was already starting to set. When Emira speaks again, her voice sounds tired. “Let me check the train schedules. If not, we can find a place to stay for the night and we can go home in the morning.”

“That sounds great, thank you.”

Amity’s voice makes a muffled echo in her ears. Or maybe it's this halo of disappointment that seems to cover everything around her, taking away its color. Maybe she’s just tired. Amity tries to outline a thank-you smile for Emira, who nods as she grabs her phone out of her bag to look at the schedules. Edric, sitting in front of Amity with the bowl still in his hands, finally raises his eyes.

“Are you sure that's what you want, Amity?”

He asks her with a frown. Amity can see the contradiction in his gaze, she knows he feels exactly like Amity does. But she’s out of options. She knew it wasn't a perfect plan, far from it, but she had wanted it to work so hard that now that she’s run out of leads to get to her, Amity feels empty.  _ You had made a promise to her, _ a voice repeats in a loop in her head, hammering against her.  _ You had promised her that you'd find her. And here you are, giving up.  _ She bites the inside of her cheek.

_ No, that's not what I want, _ Amity would like to yell at Edric _. I want to find Luz. I want to see that she's safe. I want to touch her with my own hands. Hug her. To feel her warmth, her brown locks of hair between my fingers, the hazel of her eyes hanging over me. I want to know that she's all right. I want to know that she's real. _ Amity feels tears start to pile up behind her eyes, and she looks away. To the window. Anywhere. But she’s left without any clue, no reasons, no energy, and all the roads that led her to Luz now are blurred and indistinct.

Since she can't think of anything coherent to answer him, Amity focuses on gazing past the scenery on her right. the sun is still visible over the edge of the mountains, sinking down more and more, in an orange shade that's painfully familiar to her, but so far and so unknown at the same time. It slowly descends, weakly bathing the fields beside the road, passing through the glass and reaching her.

“I don't know how to say it,” Amity hears her voice before she even knows what she’s going to say, as if the words came right out of her, more for herself than for others. “I feel like I'm wandering around in circles, with no clues at all. But I feel that she's so close… That, if I give up now, I may never…”

If only she could see the view of her village once more, Amity would know how to find her. She’d get to her in the blink of an eye, in a heartbeat. But all she has are drawings, sketches of the scenes that still hang weakly in her memory. Maybe this plan was destined to fail from the start, but her need to find Luz was so strong that she let her heart guide her this time, as Amity hardly ever does. The best option would be going back to Hexside City and working out a new plan. Here and now she may not be able to do anything else, but Amity won't give up. 

_ Not until I find you. _

She digs into her backpack with abominations patterns that her father gave her several years ago and she pulls out the detailed drawing of Luz's village. It’s objectively a very common town, scattered with houses that surrounded a circular lake in the center. Maybe that's the only thing special about it, but it still hasn't been enough to find it. When Amity finished the drawing a few nights ago, she felt as if she was about to find some answers, something extremely important and crucial, but now…

“That's Bonesborough, right?”

_ Huh? _

Amity turns like a spring. At the speed of light, her ears perked up. From the corner of her eye Amity sees an apron. As she turns, the silhouette of Viney, the waitress, who had come to fill their glasses with water, appears before Amity. As if someone had pressed a button that was hidden somewhere inside of her, Amity feels as if all her senses have awakened at once and she lights up like a Christmas tree.

“Did you draw it? Can I see it?” She asks, taking the paper from Amity’s hands without waiting for an answer and starts to analyze it, nodding in approval. Amity finds a nostalgic gleam in her gaze and she wonders why. Viney looks at it from all angles and doesn't stand still for a second. Then she nods to herself again, and raises her voice in the kitchen's direction. “Hey Jerbo, come and see this! It's a very good drawing!”

Edric with his mouth open, Emira with a look full of interest and Amity with her mind totally blank like a newly bought canvas watch as the cook – Jerbo– walks out of the kitchen calmly. He's a tall man with short dark hair and his eyes, surprisingly of a pale brown color show serenity. Amity guesses he'll be around her siblings’ age, but for some reason he looks older. When he gets to their table, he crosses his arms with a thoughtful look, studying Amity’s drawing that Viney is so happily showing him, almost as if it were hers.

“Oh, it's true, it's the old Bonesborough,” he mutters, more for himself than for them. “This brings many memories.”

_ The old...? _

“Jerbo and I used to live in Bonesborough,” Viney explains, a touch of nostalgia in her voice that Amity doesn’t quite fit in. Jerbo nods, a small smile appearing on his face, not lifting off his sight of Amity’s sketch, placing a hand affectionately over the girl's shoulder.

_ Bonesborough...? _

_ Bonesborough... _

_ Bonesborough! _

Suddenly, Amity remembers everything. As if that one word had hit her with the force of a tsunami, ripping out memories she had buried for some reason. Amity rises from the chair in a quick motion, resting her hands on the table with a euphoric smile drawn on her lips.

“Bonesborough... That's it, the village of Bonesborough! Why didn't I remember the name? Bonesborough!” She claims, intoxicated by the memories and images of Luz's town, feeling closer to her than she’d been in weeks, with her hope renewed and almost reaching the clouds. “It's not far from here, is it? Can we go? Can we go now?”

Amity feels like she’s on top of the world. Even if the only thing she’s remembered is the name of a little place in the middle of nowhere, she feels that she has the master key that will lead her right to Luz. 

Right now she’s invincible. Luz is miles away from her, but this time she knows which way to go. Every step Amity takes will bring her inches closer until there is none left to separate them. And then, when she finds her and can truly hold her in her arms, Amity will never let her go again. Her heart leaps ecstatically, and this time it's not tears of despair that build up behind her eyelids, but of relief, of joy, of pride. 

_ Bonesborough, Bonesborough! How did I forget?  _ With its fields of white rice and gold-colored wheat. With the mountains surrounding it making amazing landscapes. Birds fluttering in the morning at the window, hiding in the trees and bushes with their cheerful songs. The lake and its reflection of a clear blue sky. The clouds surrounding the top of the hills. Autumn lingering in every pore of her skin. The silhouette of Luz in the mirror, with the brown of her eyes glowing brightly like the color of the sky when the sun has set. It's Bonesborough! 

_ Luz, I'm so close! _

One, two, three seconds go by without anyone saying anything. Silence, for some reason, pops Amity’s bubble of ecstasy, and she finds herself back in the real world. She discovers four pairs of eyes fixed on her, like glued to her skin. Emira has a frown and an unreadable look. Edric stares at her with unease. And Jerbo and Viney look at each other in a strange way.

“You... You don’t know?” Viney starts. It's the quietest tone of voice Amity has heard her since she walked through the door, and on her face, there's no trace of the effusivity and energy she's had until now. A chill runs down Amity’s back.

“Bonesborough was...” Jerbo tries to explain himself, squeezing the grip of his hand over the girl's shoulder, looking away with a complicated expression that Amity can't read.

“Wait, Bonesborough?” Emira opens her eyes wide, as if she had joined all the pieces of an invisible puzzle and now everything made sense to her. Confusion, worry, surprise, sadness. Her gaze is clouded with mixed feelings, and she gives them all to Amity when she crosses her golden irises with her.

“It can't be!” As if finally understanding, Edric opens his mouth and stares at Emira, placing his hands strongly on the table with a heavy bang that sounds in Amity’s ears for a few endless seconds. 

It's like everyone knows what's going on except her, and the uncertainty burns like a merciless fire in her chest. Amity feels the room getting smaller, or maybe it's that she doesn’t get enough oxygen in her lungs. Edric’s words collide with her confused mind like a hurricane, ready to shatter everything. “Wait, wasn't there where that comet...?”

“What...?”

Amity hears her voice far away, as if someone who isn't her was speaking in another place, in another time. Like if she was a simple viewer of her life, of what's happening around her. 

Amity can't understand what they say, for some reason they don’t get to her head, almost like words from another language, one which is indecipherable only to her. She looks back at them one by one, looking for something in their foreign expressions that would give her a clue, the final piece of the endless riddle that doesn't make sense and of which she has more and more loose bits and pieces, so many that she feels like she’s drowning in them. 

_ Bonesborough...?  _

_ The comet...? _

Somewhere in her mind, Amity feels that the shadow of something wants to come to the surface. As if there were something buried under layers  and layers of trivial memories. Something that had been dormant for a long, long time. So much that she had completely forgotten that it was once there, that it was once relevant. And now it burns, it burns in her mind and between her temples, wanting to go out into the light, to go out to a place where she can know what it is. What is it that hides in the depths of Amity’s memory and that every now and then gives her such a feeling of missing and yearning and craving that it stings, it hurts everywhere.

_ What is it? What is it? What's going on? _

_ Bonesborough? The comet... _

_ Luz! _

* * *

The lonely, shivering cry of a black bird hovers above their heads, echoing grim all over the valley.

The high rusty metal fences that keep people away from the entry are, as well, ringed by a series of orange cones washed out by the sun, lined up and linked by the typical black and yellow police tape that hangs with dust. A barricade that blocks their way, casting long shadows on the cracked asphalt that stretches under their feet and in which crevices, nature has already started to grow, taking over what's left abandoned.

According to the Basic Law of Measures against Disasters, Amity can't go one step further from this point. More green gnawed plastic fences, attached by a thick tube of colorless steel, confirm this rule. Around them, small hedges and weeds of wild plants claim the area, with no one to cut them.

<<KEEP OUT>>

<<KEEP OUT>>

<<KEEP OUT>>

More and more old signs covered in ivy and those pale plastic police tapes are printed with those words. Amity runs to them. When she’s close enough, she circles the posters, jumps over the tapes, the fences, the stakes, she doesn’t care. She doesn’t have any air left in her lungs, but she keeps running until there are no more signs to surpass, until there is no more floor to run on. Only then does Amity look down on the cliff she’s on.

And below is the village of Bonesborough.

Or, rather, what is left of it after a massive force shattered it into pieces and the lake swallowed up what was left of it practically in its entirety.

Beneath her feet lies an empty, desolate, terrifyingly silent, smashed immensity. What once was a small village full of life, of kind people, of rituals, of children running through the streets, of dreams scattered throughout the classes, of old people talking about past battles, of megaphones that resound, of traditional music, of the crackle of fire, of the reflection of the moon on the lake. A town bathed in the stationary autumn...

...Completely erased from the map. 

Amity can no longer see the streets, the posts, the houses, the town hall, the library, the school, the roads, the bus stop or the sanctuary. Chunks of broken stone from some building drift here and there, piling up on the edges of the lakes, covered with branches and vegetation. In the more distant places, the roads leading to the village are ripped, abruptly cut in half, falling apart. A bird flies over the area where the train station should have been. Further down, some red, discolored and rusty wagons lie bruised and out of the rails, completely lost their shape, with plants growing everywhere. Next to it, what is left of the tiles of the train station is making a mess of ceramics, stones and rotted wood on the rubble-filled floor. Farther away, some cars completely damaged have managed to not be sucked into the water, covered with broken glass.

Amity gazes from one point to another, from a dilapidated building to what's left of a road, looking for something, anything that tells her that this is not the town she saw in her dreams a few weeks ago. But she can't find anything. Wherever Amity looks, she can only see the massive egg-shaped silhouette of the lake, and the even larger lagoon of a new lake, the waters have flooded everything that might have been left after the disaster. Now, the water covers everything, and there's nothing left.

“Hey… Are you sure this is it?” Edric asks her with a weak voice, walking towards Amity. She can't take her eyes off the terrifying landscape that stretches endlessly in front of them.

“Of course not!” Emira says, not waiting for her answer, making a careless gesture with her hand. Yet the way her smile flickers shows the same fear and insecurity that weighs on Edric and Amity. “Mittens, you have to be mistaken.”

“This is it…”

Amity whispers, a thread of voice so thin that for a moment she fears it will break. 

Amity feels fragile, vulnerable, watching the dreadful chaos and destruction that has struck this beautiful place. Its houses, its streets, its people. There’s nothing left.  _ There’s nothing _ , Amity thinks to herself, helplessness opening with grotesque force a hole in her chest and leaving her empty, trembling. She feels the palms of her hands grow cold, and then her whole body, as if the temperature had suddenly dropped two, three, five, ten degrees. 

Amity wants to look around, see the expressions on her siblings’ faces and find some comfort. She wants someone to tell her that they’ve brought her to the wrong village. Somebody to pinch her and wake her up in her bed. Or rather, wake up being Luz, knowing she's okay. 

But none of that happens, Amity’s feet are glued to the ground like if she was made of concrete, sinking deeper and deeper as if the floor beneath her feet wasn't made of stone but of quicksand. And her eyes are fixed on the frightening sight that threatens to swallow her, too. Houses, cars, roads. Only rubble remains. The remnant of what was once beautiful and completely destroyed in a millisecond. And that's when Amity understands why she’s so attracted to this. 

_ It's because I'm just like this place _ , she thinks to herself. A second ago Amity was full of hope, of dreams, of the determination to find Luz. But it took her a legit second to lose all that, to lose everything. The sight of the town in ruins, completely demolished, hits her like a wrecking ball and turns her into rubble too. And they are heavy, they weigh her in the chest, as if the lack of what was never hers was the heaviest burden in the world.

“Don’t you see?” Emira's eyes are sharp, as if she was correcting a child who said the wrong answer. “What you say is wrong.”

“This is it!” Amity insists, frowning and walking a step towards her in anger. As if rage could give her back everything Amity feels she’s lost. “I have no doubt! It's Bonesborough, it's this place!”

“But Amity...” Edric starts, looking down as soon as she turns to him, like intimidated.

“No! I'm sure, Edric,” Amity looks around her, extending her hands and pointing here and there. She feels her chest about to explode. It hurts,  _ it hurts _ . “It's not just the village. This high school, the mountains around it, the train station, the roads... I remember everything so perfectly!”

Amity thinks that she’s yelling at this point. She can't feel anything, only the pain of the nails in her hands while the memories of the town fill her field of vision.

Behind them stands the building that was Luz's school, blackened by a layer of soot and debris, of a translucent black and broken window glass. She recognizes it, they are in the schoolyard from where the entire lake can be seen and that Amity once drew in art class.

“So this is the town you've been looking for? Are you telling me this is where your internet friend lives?” Emira takes one, two steps towards Amity, holding her gaze with skepticism, an incredulous smile frozen on her face and her eyes so tired and sad. “Can't you see it's impossible!? You can't have forgotten that disaster that killed hundreds of people three years ago! You remember that, don't you, Amity?!”

It was as if her words vanished all the fire and anger that was burning inside Amity. 

She’s suddenly left with nothing, like she’d forgotten why she was so angry a second ago. And she also runs out of air. Amity looks down at her trembling hands. She opens her fists and discovers several half-moon patterns drawn deep in her skin. When she looks up again, she finds no harshness in Emira, but a deep desolation. She takes another step towards Amity, raising one hand to place it comfortingly on her. Amity moves back away from her, unable to lose sight of the ice in her eyes.

“They…  _ died? _ ”

Amity wonders how it’s possible that her voice trembles in a single word, which is all she manages to say. 

Her mouth feels dry, she tries to swallow but she can't. Edric takes a tentative step in her direction, like afraid that she might run. And for a moment Amity considers it. Running anywhere until none of this seems real. At least, not real enough to destroy her on the inside and leave her picking up the pieces one by one. Right now she feels like she has nothing, the most absolute and painful nothing. Because who should be there will never be. 

Though Amity would swear that she’s looking at her, her gaze goes beyond Emira, beyond even the school, as if something was drawing it in and Amity didn't have the strength to resist. She stares at a frozen point, her eyes unfocused and the lump in her chest getting tighter and tighter. She grasps her shirt over it tightly, shaking.

“She died... three years ago?”

Her thread of voice is broken, and the thread that kept her emotions stable breaks as well. A single tear rushes down Amity’s cheek, leaving behind a trail of the deepest sorrow in its way, softly outlining her jaw until it falls to the ground with a small sound that she finds deafening.

_ Luz is dead. _

Amity remembers the first time she saw her eyes, as brown and hazel as the color of the sky when the sun has set. So full of magic.

_ Luz died three years ago. _

She remembers the touch of her silky brown hair between her fingers. How it slipped smoothly, as unpredictable and wild as she herself.

_ Luz doesn’t exist anymore. _

She remembers when she heard her laugh for the first time. As fresh and new as the sound of the river flowing down its stream for the first time since winter ended. So cheerful and warm, like the breeze that tells you summer is coming.

_ I’ll never find her in this lifetime. _

She remembers how smiley she was in each and every one of the photos that were splashed around the coven. She was little, with a few missing teeth, next to King and in the arms of Eda. Amity remembers that she never asked her about Lilith or Camilia.

_ Luz is dead. _

‘I'm with you, even if I'm not physically there’. Those words she once wrote on Amity’s phone echo in her heart, along with her wish to hold her that this morning seemed so real and close, but now feels like nothing more than a beautiful but surreal dream.

_ Luz…  _ Amity whispers in her mind like a mourning, like a prayer. The weight of reality hits her and is the hardest blow of all.  _ Luz…  _ The air in her lungs fades and she feels like she’s drowning.  _ Luz…  _ Every muscle in her body stiffens up, desperately trying to build a fortress to protect a place where there's nothing left, where there's no one.  _ Luz…  _ Amity shakes her head. First weakly, then with more strength, until she realizes that she can't shake Luz’s face from her mind. In the coven. By the lake. In the schoolyard. At the bus stop. Under the stars. The brown of her hair. The orange of her wristband. The hazel of her eyes. She is everywhere. And there is nothing left.

_ All because of a comet. _

_ A comet... _

_ The comet! _

Suddenly, something  _ clicks  _ and Amity realizes. She feels, in terror, how all the pieces finally fit together one by one. And what was buried under layers and layers of memories in her head finally comes to light.

Amity remembers that comet that colored the Hexside City’s sky with its trail three years ago, when she was on top of their building with her father, mother and the twins watching the wonderful scene next to her on a cool autumn night. The countless number of shooting stars that dotted the sky in all directions, covering the vault with their brightness from the very outside of this world, falling west of her city. That stellar landscape that was like drawn straight out of a dream, a beautiful one, a magical one. Amity can remember the thrill that filled every inch of her skin then, the mystical and almost electrifying energy.

She remembers the comet falling, splitting in two and getting lost in the sky beyond where her eyes could see.

_ Luz… died at that moment? _

“It can't be,” Amity shakes her head in disbelief, talking very fast. She sees her siblings staring at her. “No, no. This is wrong. It can't be. Luz can't be dead.”

“Amity...” Emira takes another step up to her, and this time Amity lets her.

“I have proof,” Amity replies immediately before Emira tries to convince her that she’s wrong or mistaken or whatever.  _ Cause I know I'm right.  _ Amity pulls out her phone with trembling hands and it almost falls to the ground. Edric comes up to her, curiously though not daring to say anything.

She starts looking frantically for the texts that Luz left written in her diary app, as fast and as urgently as if the battery was going to run out forever if she doesn’t hurry enough. The diary entries are still there. A shaky sigh leaves Amity’s lips, relieved.

But before she can show them anything, something strange happens on the screen.

_ Huh? _

Amity opens her eyes really wide. For a moment she thought the letters were moving. Amity blinks once, twice, but the letters are still flickering.

“What...?”

First a word, then another.

One by one, the phrases Luz wrote turn into meaningless symbols. Letter by letter, emoji to emoji, all the words are changed into unreadable words, and then into incomprehensible whole texts. Until, eventually, the entries that Luz wrote in a cheerful yellow color flicker for an instant as if they were candles, vanishing and one by one being erased until there's nothing left. As if some invisible thing were clicking on the ‘Delete’ icon. And so, while Amity watches in horror, powerless to do anything to stop it, all of Luz's texts are wiped out before her eyes.

“They're gone...”

Amity manages to mumble, more to herself than to Emira and Edric, who still have their eyes fixed on her, waiting to see those proofs that Amity can no longer show them. She feels as if the whole world is crumbling into pieces, and she finds herself beneath them all trying to carry the weight, the burden, the pain. Trying to flee to the surface, to breathe. Trying to find someone within the chaos, someone that was long gone. And Amity knows she won't be able to hold on much longer.

“Why...? “

She whispers, a sob ends up breaking anything Amity was going to say. All the strength she had left leaves her body and her legs, suddenly so weak, they can't hold her weight. Amity falls to the ground in tears. Emira looks in a strange way at Edric, but soon they’re both kneeling by her side, holding her without saying anything more.

The cry of the black bird keeps on echoing in the valley, high above, far away.

* * *

The name of the comet is Tiamat. 

The comet Tiamat. Its orbit around the sun lasts 1200 years, and casually came to its perigee in October three years ago, just at the same time of the year they are now. 

Its orbit is extremely long, especially if you compare it with other comets. Take, for example, Halley's comet. Its orbital period is 76 years, and yet each person can only see it once in a lifetime, and with luck. That is why the discovery of the comet Tiamat was a groundbreaking event in the entire world, and the seven billion people who live on this planet were on the edge of their seats, holding their breath and feeling the luckiest guys in history cause they had the opportunity of seeing that magical and historical sight that was the passing of the comet Tiamat through their sky. No one would have expected what happened next.

The comet's semi-axis is also massive – it stretches over 16.8 billion kilometers. As a result of its titanic proportions, there was no one on the planet who didn't want to see it with their own eyes. Scientists predicted that its perigee would be about 120,000 kilometers from the earth. That is, when it passes by once every 1200 years, leaving behind a bright blue tail in the fully visible night sky, it is even closer than the Moon. Everyone, Amity included, was looking forward to the arrival of the comet Tiamat three years ago.

Maybe for that reason, or maybe because they didn't have enough technology, no scientist could foresee that the comet's core would shatter as it passed close to the earth until they had it on their heads. Nor did they predict that inside the ice core there was hidden a devilish rock of 40 meters of diameter. A fragment of the comet became a meteor and, at the destructive speed of more than 30 kilometers per second, rushed to the planet's surface. The point where it fell was the Boiling Isles. And, tragically, the area turned out to be populated – it fell in the small village of Bonesborough.

Just that day the autumn festival was being celebrated in the village. It impacted at 20:42h, in the place where the festival was taking place and which would certainly be full of shops and tourists, the First Witches' Coven.

When the meteor fell, the sanctuary area was instantly destroyed. The devastation not only destroyed the houses and the forest, but it also dug a deep hole in the planet's surface, making a crater up to a kilometer in diameter. A second after the impact, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake was felt in regions five kilometers away. Fifteen seconds later, a powerful hurricane blast swept through the village, destroying what was still on its feet at the time.

The final count of all the dead was more than 500. That was almost a third part of the village's total population. So, the small, peaceful village of Bonesborough became the scene of the worst documented meteor debacle in human and witches' history.

Because the crater that formed the meteor was created next to the existing Lake Bonesborough, the water flowed into it and ended up making a single lake in the shape of an eight, now known as the New Lake Bonesborough.

In contrast, the part of the village farthest from the high school, for example, wasn’t so badly damaged. Still, the approximately 1,000 people who escaped the disaster soon left. Before one year after the disaster passed, the town council decided that the maintenance of the town was unviable. Fourteen months after the meteorite fell, the village of Bonesborough also disappeared from the register.

All these facts are real and confirmed, like the ones that already appear in the textbooks, telling how that tragedy happened. Amity was also aware of the situation. It was all over the news, on all the Hexside City’s screens. It was practically impossible not to know what had happened. Three years ago, Amity remembers going up to the rooftop and seeing the sky dotted with the blue and magical colors dragged by the comet Tiamat, so big in the sky right before her eyes.

_ Still... _

_ None of this makes sense. _

Because up until a month ago, Amity spent her days living like Luz in Bonesborough. She walked its streets, talked to its people, went to the school, listened to what the elders had to say, visited the sanctuary, walked through its forests, through its mountains, Amity saw her reflection in the only Bonesborough Lake there was. And everything was there perfectly in its place. It was tangible. 

It was real.

The only half-reasonable idea left in Amity’s head is to think that what she saw, the place where she lived as Luz, isn’t Bonesborough. Maybe the comet and the change of bodies with her are two unrelated facts.  _ It could be, couldn't it?  _ But at the same time she thinks about it, Amity knows it can't be true. Maybe this is the illogical reason she’s been looking for all this time, why they started to switch bodies.  _ But if so, what good is it? If I can’t see her anymore?  _ Amity bites the inside of her cheek unconsciously _. Why make me suffer like this, all for nothing? _

She turns a page. And another. And another one. Sitting at one of the uncomfortable tables in the municipal library of the town closest to Bonesborough, Amity turns pages and pages of volumes while her head keeps spinning pointlessly, like a dog chasing its tail. From the bottom of her heart, the voice of someone she doesn't know doesn't stop whispering to her that the place Amity has been is none other than Bonesborough.

‘Complete Chronicle: Bonesborough, the village that disappeared.’

‘Bonesborough, the village that sank in one night.’

‘The tragedy of the comet Tiamat.’

These are some of the titles of the thick volumes that Emira and Amity are reading. Edric is rummaging through the shelves, bringing all the books that have something to do with the town. 

With a heavy heart, Amity discovers that all the old Bonesborough photographs in these compilations are identical to the village of her memories, the place where she lived as Luz for months. The First Witches' Coven, where Eda worked as a leading witch and took care of it with great affection. The unnecessarily large parking lot where the candidates for mayor sometimes gave their speeches. The two bars placed next to each other and in which they never got in. The supermarket that looked like a barn and where they always offered Amity seeds of plants that she’d never heard of before. And, of course, the high school, where Willow, Gus and her have spent many hours together. All those places are clearly carved into Amity’s mind, as if she had barely been there yesterday. 

Seeing with her own eyes the town in ruins a few hours ago has made her remember, for some reason, every detail that was already fading away. All her memories are as clear as the day now. And that makes it all even more painful.

As Emira reads aloud and next to her an article she's stumbled upon, Amity finds herself barely paying attention to her words. Each passing minute it’s getting hard to breathe, as if a giant, frozen hand were holding and squeezing her organs tightly. She tries to take small breaths to get some oxygen into her body, but they sound more like small, silent panting. Her heart beats in frenzy, apparently with no intention of calming down, and she feels dizzy. Amity rests her elbows on the table, burying her face in her hands. Having cried before has left her more drained than she already was, and they haven't exactly had a peaceful day.

“Are you all right?”

Amity doesn’t know at which point Emira stopped reading the article. She feels a comforting hand on her shoulder and she turns to look at her. Amity blinks several times until Emira's empathetic golden eyes meet hers, full of concern.

“Yes,” Amity lies, shaking her head weakly and forcing a small smile. “I'm sorry Em, you can keep reading.”

Emira nods and says nothing else, focusing again on the thick leather book in front of her.

“’Bonesborough High School. The last sports festival.’”

Amity gets closer to look at the picture that shows the page. In it, several high school students that she doesn’t recognize appear in what looks like a relay race, or something like that. On the right side of the image, as if they were from another team, there are two girls that somehow ring a bell. One wears short hair with glasses, and shows gleaming emerald eyes full of determination. The other has short brown hair that shines brightly in the photo, an orange bracelet tied around her wrist. Her face is frozen in a cheerful expression, in the middle of laughter that she probably directed to her friend. In her eyes, a soft brown shines intensely.

Amity thinks she’s out of breath.

For a moment, she feels like a string of blood is running down her neck, but when she rubs it, it turns out to be just transparent sweat. She stares at the photo, unable to take her eyes off it, her heart beating in her ears. Emira looks like she's going to talk, but just then Edric shows up behind them.

“Amity…”

When she looks up, Amity sees the most grieved and devastated face she has ever seen on him. 

Right now, no one would’ve said that Edric is that bright, cheerful, carefree boy who lights up the rooms with his presence. Now he just looks like a little boy, lost and frightened. He holds something in his hands. Amity looks down and takes the thick black book he offers her, placing it on the table in front of the three of them. In its sturdy jet-black cover the following golden words are solemnly read.

‘The comet catastrophe in the village of Bonesborough: list of names of the deceased’.

Amity swallows. Her mouth tastes bitter.

“Amity, you don't have to do this,” Emira places a hand on Amity’s and squeezes firmly. She nods, digging deep within her for the last drop of strength she has left.

“It's okay, Em. I  _ need  _ to do this,” she squeezes her hand back before she moves her own away. Emira nods weakly, holding her breath.

Amity slowly turns the pages, afraid of what she’ll find on the next one. Each page is an endless list of the names of the victims, sorted by address according to the district of the village where they lived. She follows the names with her finger so that she doesn’t skip a single one as she passes more pages, a cold sweat wrapping her whole body like a cold blanket. Amity’s finger stops on top of two names that are familiar to her.

**Gus Porter (16)**

**Willow Park (17)**

“Willow and... Gus...?”

Her voice sounds like a broken whisper that bounces endlessly in the silence of this huge empty library. She reads it again. And then another time.  _ I can't believe this is really happening. _

Amity remembers Willow's closeness and warmth, as if she were the close friend Amity never had. She remembers the first thing she thought when she saw her was that she was really nice. With that short blue hair, and her round glasses and friendly expression. Always with the right words on the tip of her tongue, never being anything but kind and sweet to her, to Gus, to everyone. She was a humble girl, but her heart was almost as big as her dreams and ambitions. The sparkle in her gaze was alive when she told Amity that someday they would go to Hexside City, that they would do great things. Her words danced with such conviction in Amity’s ears that, for a moment, she also wanted to share that dream, forgetting everything that didn't fit in the peaceful emerald that bathed her eyes.

And Gus, so unique in a way that it could only be him. He stumbled over and over with the same stone, but Amity never saw him give up. He always walked forward, always with his chin held high, no matter how much harm the world had done to him. Amity remembers when she told him her idea to set up a special cafeteria for the three of them, how he seemed to light up like a chandelier, bursting with excitement. And like every day, after school, they got down to work together. He reminded her of Luz in some ways. In the bad jokes he sometimes made, the human references, his stubbornness, and in the honesty that surrounded him like an impenetrable halo.

_ And now... Gus and Willow... _

_ They're gone? _

Amity turns the page, holding her breath with her heart hammering against her ribs, as if wanting to flee and hide. She moves her finger, shaking, reading name by name.

Until, finally, Amity finds the names she wanted more than anything in this world to never have to read.

**Edalyn Clawthorne (42)**

**Luz Noceda (17)**

**King of Demons (12)**

A single tear, thick and cold, falls on the fine page under her finger. 

For a second that seems to last a lifetime, Amity doesn’t move. She doesn’t feel the rough touch of the paper; doesn’t feel the hard wooden chair on her back; doesn’t feel Emira's hand on her arm, nor Edric’s movements behind her. Amity doesn’t hear their voices, nor their breathing. Not even hers. She can't feel her heart beating, can't see the lights in the library, or the other names that fill the open book right under her nose. Amity’s whole world, no, her whole universe and all the reality where she exists has narrowed to a single, tiny space, where only one name and one age fit. 

Luz Noceda. __

_ Luz Noceda.  _

_ Luz… _

The other two are looking at the list of names from behind Amity’s back.

“Is that her?” Edric asks, suddenly breaking Amity’s bubble, his voice several tones higher than usual. “There has to be some kind of mistake! Cause this girl…!” He nervously runs his fingers through his hair before dropping the bomb. “…She died three years ago!”

Amity gets up from the chair abruptly, startling Emira. Her head is going to explode. Of thoughts, of memories, of pictures of Luz, of the village, of the comet, of pieces that don't fit together. It can't be true. 

_ It can't be true, it's impossible, because… _

“But just two or three weeks ago, she told me…!”

Amity replies shouting, as if she could tear the pain out of every fiber of her body, scare away the ghosts of memories of what is no longer in this world. She shouts, wishing with all her heart to make his words disappear.  _ It aches to breathe _ . Amity makes an effort to inhale and continue speaking, this time in a weak whimper, no louder than a shaky whisper.

“She told me… that I’d see the comet…” She says, managing with a huge effort to finally separate her eyes from Luz's name. She remembers the entry Luz left on her phone, talking about how Amity would see the comet on the night of her date with Boscha, the last day they exchanged bodies. She remembers how excited she was to see it. _ The comet.  _ Tears clump painfully behind her eyelids when, at last, Amity understands everything. “That's why I couldn't…!”

She lifts her face, looking for anything to focus her gaze on, everything but her name written in that dreadful black ink that has sucked up any drop of hope that might be left in her crushed body. Amity raises her eyes and finds her own reflection on the already dark glass of the window in front of her.

_ Who are you?  _ Amity thinks all of a sudden, as if the words had found her in a sea of meaningless memories that surround her, fill her, drown her.

Somewhere in her mind, Amity hears someone's hoarse, distant voice. A voice she’s heard before a long time ago, perhaps in another life. A voice full of experience, feelings, sorrow and wonder.  _ Oh, you... _

**_"…You're dreaming, aren't you?"_ **

__

_ Am I dreaming? _

Amity feels totally and utterly confused. She stares at her reflection. Her green hair is tangled and flattened against her forehead, probably because of the sweat. Her almond golden eyes look deeply exhausted.

“I…” Amity whispers, maybe to her reflection, maybe to someone she can't seem to remember. “What am I… doing here?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SORRY, i promise things will get better <3
> 
> Next chapter on Wednesday: Amity finds a way to find Luz - this time for real.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amity finds comfort in her siblings' company, and finds a way to finally find Luz again.

Laughter, clapping and incessant chatter of people in the room next door slip through the thin walls and echo in the suite Amity’s in. It seems they are having a party.

Someone says something funny and everyone laughs. The cycle keeps going on and on for a while. They may be celebrating a birthday, a business dinner or some other thing. Amity doesn’t really care, but she sharpens her hearing, trying to guess what kind of gathering it is, to empty her mind for a few moments. The whispering goes on, but she doesn’t understand a word they say. She shakes her head, strands of green hair falling down her forehead like waves on the shore. Under her skin, a tempest is raging.

Like sand spilling in an hourglass, the hours have been slipping away. Amity has been reading non-stop old newspapers and magazines, but she’s reached the point where her head can't take in any more information, a volcano overflowing with burning, brittle lava between her temples. She takes the phone from the table and checks again the diary app, a little light shines within her hoping that maybe what Luz wrote is still there. But, for the seventh time in the last hour, there's no sign of them.

She rests her head on her arms crossed on the table, sighing. Just a few millimeters away from her eyes, the letters of the papers get blurred. After everything that's happened in the last few hours, Amity only finds a solution in the storm of tangible things and things that are lost.

“Was it just… a dream?”

Amity whispers to the ghost that haunts her, pieces of a shattered hope forgotten on the floor. _ Do I want to believe it was? _ The question slips across the cracks in her bones.

“The scenery was familiar to me because I had seen it in the news three years ago…”

The room’s light blinks through the locks of hair that fall upon her eyes. A dark cloak that covers the world around her. Amity imagines herself diving into it, letting it slip between her fingers.

“And her…”

A candle lights up in the darkness that reigns beyond Amity’s eyelids. A bright color. A voice, a name that curls like the course of time. Entangling her. Dragging her. Letting her go.

_ How do I explain her existence, then? _

The shape of her jaw is drawn with ash over Amity’s memories. The soft curve of her neck, her arms, and the outline of her shoulder blades.

“Was she… a ghost?” She whispers under the dim light. “No…”

Hazel wraps her, warm and sweet like a hug. It slips under her skin, electric, insistent, roaring with desperation. The soft echo of her voice tickles in Amity’s ears like a prophecy, an old song, cold like the winter weather, distant.

“Maybe it all was…”

Luz’s face fades away, her facial features blur like sand. Sand that falls down the round edges of the world. The universe tilts one degree in her mind, and Amity holds onto the wooden desk, her head spinning.  _ Yes, maybe it all was… _

Silky hair made of brown waves in her mind. A girl dances on her toe tips to a song older than time, lost in a blaze. Fire dances with her, around her, inside her. But she smiles. Soft hazel sparkling in the sky above them.

“My imagination…?”

Amity whispers, only the cicadas answer. She raises her head, startled.  _ Something’s wrong _ . She tries to remember her. Her soft cheeks. Her cheerful nature. Her stupid jokes.

Pieces of scattered memories draw her silhouette in her mind. But, as soon as they come, they fade away. Amity tries again. Waves of uncertainty blur Luz’s memory again and again, like the sea foam drags the sand and wipes out the grooves of the shore. Threads of wind haul away the corner of her smile, fraying volatilely her picture from Amity’s mind.  _ No _ . Something breaks with a crack Amity didn’t know how to hear. _ Something’s being erased from my memory. _

“Her name…” The ‘tick, tock’ of the clock fills the room. Amity stares at her hands with urgency, searching for something that she can’t remember. Her head tiptoeing on the edge of falling. “What was her name…?”

With a soft ‘knock, knock’, the thin wooden door opens. A green head pops in.

“Emira says she’s gonna take a bath,” he says. “With the crazy day we’ve had, I bet it’s the closest thing to heaven we can get. But I’m incredibly tired. So rest now, bathe later.”

Edric tells her, already wearing his PJ’s and his usual cool smile. The cold, distant atmosphere in the room melts like snow, turning softer and warmer. In an instant, Amity feels much more relieved.

“Yeah… I’ll probably do the same,” she slightly nods. Amity hadn’t noticed the exhaustion, her muscles weigh like iron in the tide of fatigue. Taking a bath now sounds like an odyssey.

“Right?” Edric says, sitting in front of her, with a tired sigh. “I dunno how she does it, though.”

“Do what?” Amity tilts her head.

“Stay calm and collected all the time. I mean, it’s been quite a day, right?” He runs his fingers through his hair. His gaze absent, thoughtful. “She’s so much like you.”

“Like me?” Amity repeats. “How?”

The sudden honesty bumps into her. She stares at him, and she’d say he looks older, more tired. She bites the inside of her bottom lip. It hasn’t been a long day just for Amity, full of contradictory emotions, but in this sea of shredded delusions she’s dragged them with her.

“Keeping things to herself. Trying not to get others involved in her stuff,” he looks away, words sounding shallow in the thick air. “You know what I mean.”

Amity remembers being, hours ago, in front of the most devastating scenery she had ever seen. The bitter taste of helplessness covering her lips, slipping down her throat, pumping painfully through her veins, carrying tiny crystals of broken hopes and sticking here and there. There was nothing left.  _ Nothing _ . Just the lonely cry of a distant black bird, mourning everything it had lost.

And, in the eye of the tornado of confusion and tears as dense as the sea, Emira and Edric held her knowing next to nothing about what was going on. To them, Amity had come to see a friend she had met on the internet. But everything crooked when Amity remembered that Bonesborough was that village she’d been longing to find, the scenery of a long-lost tragedy.

Amity fiddles around, half-way lost in her thoughts. She can’t give them a proper explanation, it’d be too complicated, but the least she feels they deserve is an apology.

“About that…” Amity starts, a sigh escaping from her lips with a rehearsed heaviness. “I wanted to say I’m sorry. For all the weird things I’ve said today.”

“Nah, no worries. I get that,” He gestures carelessly, getting back his usual cheerful smile. Warmth comes back to Amity’s fingertips, she relaxes. “It’s been a… stressful day, right? Not at all what you expected.”

“You could say that,” she shrugs softly, waiting to feel the familiar sting of nostalgia that haunts her, a lingering shadow in her own mind. Surprisingly, it never comes. “I don’t know what I expected, but… it definitely wasn’t that.”

“Though I gotta say I’m kinda… glad this whole thing happened. Like, glad you finally opened up to us, I think,” his golden gaze softens, his heart pouring out of his eyes like raindrops. “Not glad about the girl misunderstanding. That sucks. But you get what I mean.”

“That’s… really nice of you to say, Ed.”

Amity’s gaze matches his golden turning tempered, like warmed up by the sun. Amity wouldn’t say it out loud, but part of her was hoping, waiting even, for them to say they’re tired of her because of all the drama she’s dragged them into today. 

Amity would’ve accepted their anger, their complaints and even their goodbyes, if they decided to leave. But, none of her brain cells had come up with the thought that they would… care this much. That they would be glad to be there in a situation like this, be there to comfort her. With her eyes wide open and her heart in her hands, Amity lets herself drown in her brother’s honesty, her mind not overthinking anything for a second.  _ Trusting _ . 

She had been so drained and broken a few hours ago that she’d let her cries consume her body, while the desolate scenery crawled under her skin, freezing her more and more. She hadn’t thought that, in that moment, Amity had shown herself much more vulnerable than in all the years she’s been with them. Mysterious, quiet, stealthy. Every expression and movement of her body was always premeditated to show exactly what she wanted everyone to see, and nothing more. Amity guesses this whole thing is bigger than she is, it always has been. It was a mystery of two, but it turned nearly impossible when her other half slipped through her fingers when she was about to reach her.

And, when that happened, Edric and Emira were there for Amity.

“Suffering alone isn’t worth it, you know? Not when you have siblings you can lean on,” the smile that he draws is shy and soft, a warm breath of spring over the winter of Amity’s skin. “I guess I’m glad you finally did, somehow.”

“I…”

Amity opens her mouth. A cozy feeling of gratitude overflows her heart, wriggling out of her ribcage, gliding through her veins. Edric smiles showing all his teeth, and a small smile traces its way on Amity’s face.

When, a few hours ago, she discovered the truth about what happened three years ago, Amity felt the most utterly and terrifying loneliness bath every centimeter on her body. Because that person that she’d thought would fill the corners of her world with her blazing smile and her soul brighter than the sun had faded away from the earth’s surface, dust particles blown away by the summer breeze. The promise of a change, which swept away the light that had settled in her chest.

Though her feelings were valid, Amity knows that solitude was just a disposable mask that was hiding what her mind didn’t want to see. Despite everything, her siblings were there when she needed them most, holding her broken pieces that were scattered all over the place, not asking and not trying to glue them back together.  _ Acceptance _ .

“Especially if they’re cool, awesome, handsome siblings like me,” a greedy smile climbs up his face. “Right?”

“Shut up,” Amity rolls her eyes and laughs, the oppressive mist in her lungs fades away quietly. “But I guess you’re right. I’m… not that mad that you came along, after all. Though you haven’t been exactly helpful, it's been nice to have you two around. Thanks.”

Amity says, she feels this is the most authentic thing she’s said in the whole day. Even though the world is breaking apart and falling over her, now she knows she’s not alone. She has people around her who’d watch her back while Amity faces her demons, ghosts of things that couldn’t be and memories that haunt her. Somehow, she knows she’ll be okay. For a tiny moment, hope faintly slips back through her cracks. And Amity smiles.

“Aww, look at you, Mittens! Getting all softy!” Edric laughs like a little kid. Amity feels blood rushing to her cheeks.

“I’m not!” She shakes her head strongly, but she loses all credibility when Edric’s laughter spreads to her and she starts laughing too. “It was you who started!”

“I’m taking a picture,” Edric says, getting up to rummage through his bag, a funny look on his face, while Amity chases him across the room to stop him. “Mittens being honest and soft! That’s, like, a once-in-a-lifetime event!”

“Don’t!” Amity says. “Shut up!”

She runs after him with a goofy smile. Just now, for a tiny little bit of time, the world doesn’t look quite as bad. Amity still has the sun and the moon looking after her from above.

* * *

“I’m sorry I could only get us one room,” Amity’s voice sounds weak in the silence of the room.

“Edric said the exact same thing to me,” Emira answers, shrugging. “It’s okay, I don’t mind sharing.”

They’re sitting facing each other in front of a small table by the window. Emira plays with the free locks of hair that have slipped out of the high bun that she made herself, scrolling through her phone.

“The hotel staff told me that today a large group happened to arrive, taking most of the rooms, and they were almost complete,” Amity keeps on talking, passing loosely the pages of a book that she borrowed from the library. About Bonesborough, of course. The wrecked vision of the village still lingers between her temples. “The manager said it was some business celebration or something like that.”

“That explains all the noise,” Emira says, looking for a second at the wall that connects them to the room next door. She rolls her eyes, sighing in disapproval.

“Yeah… I hope they don’t bother us much,” Amity scratches the back of her neck, uneasy. “I’m sorry, there wasn’t any room far from the noise, I asked.”

“Mittens, it’s fine, really,” she says. “You don’t need to worry about everything.”

Amity nods, willing to set the topic aside and focus again on reading, but Emira keeps on talking. She tells her that, while she was in the resting room after she got out of the bath, she saw a group of girls approach Edric, who was about to come in, and they offered him some pears. Unable to keep herself from laughing a bit, Emira tells Amity how Edric tried to politely accept them and flee from there, while the girls kept getting closer and closer to him. In the end, Emira had to step in and intervene.  _ Those girls probably thought I was her girlfriend or something like that,  _ Emira says, _ but who cares, they left him alone. Plus, we got fruit now. _ Amity pictures the scene in her head, and she laughs at the thought. While she talks, the scent of her shampoo comes up to her. Light and wild, reminding her of a faraway land.

“Oh… So Bonesborough was a region that used to produce braided cords. They’re beautiful,” Emira says, flipping through the book that Amity had left forgotten on the table between them. 

It’s full of pictures of Bonesborough’s typical materials and products, among which are the cords. With every shade and tone of color, they blend making figures and sceneries. A skyscraper, a psychedelic design, some flowers, fish scales, the top of the mountains, etc. All of them are inspired by nature. A breath of yearning breaks through Amity’s chest. 

“My friend’s mother liked those very much. I remember one time she asked to import cords of all colors to give them as complements at one of her daughter’s recitals. She used to sing opera, but she quit some years ago. We stopped talking at some point.”

The soft smile still tingles on Emira’s face, but her eyes turn darker as she talks about her lost friend. Amity reaches with her arm across the table and finds her hand. She holds it softly but steadily, letting her know that she’s here, that she cares. She raises her eyes and they’re softer, fresh golden.

Emira looks up at her and stays thoughtful for a second.

“Oh… by the way, Mittens,” she observes Amity’s hair tie, a drop of homesickness in her voice. “This thing you’re wearing, is it a braided cord, too?”

“What? Oh, this is…”

Amity lets go of her hand and unties her ponytail, wearing her hair down and leaving the braided hair tie suspended in the air between them. She stares at it, too. It’s her lucky hair tie, the one she always carries with her. If she forgets to put it on before leaving the house, even if she’s just going out for five minutes, she feels naked, vulnerable. The fabric is a thicker and more resistant material than the usual sewing thread – the cord, of vivid orange color. Like the sky at sunset, warm and comforting. Like the sun at dawn, full of new promises, soft and light.

_ Huh…? _

A memory tries to make its way into the whirlpool of Amity’s mind, vulnerable and faint like a candle in the wind, about to fade away. 

She frowns, trying to protect it and bring it close to the surface, but it gets more and more vague and ethereal. She focuses on the braided cord, somewhat frayed here and there by the passing of the years and the use. An impulse, a necessity, an ardent curiosity. Amity knows it’s important. It always has been something important, something essential, a sentimental burden that is both heavy and necessary. A reminder, a promise.  _ This cord…  _

“I’d swear somebody gave it to me…” Amity’s voice sounds weak in the silence of the room, in the endless distance that’s between Emira and her, between the rest of the world and her. This cord is something relevant, Amity can feel the weight that it had a billion years ago, an oath of forgotten words spiraling through her skin. Reclaiming. Electric. Burning. “It was a long time ago… And sometimes I wear it as a good luck charm. I don’t know, it’s stupid, but… It makes me feel sheltered, somehow.”

Again, Amity feels a bitter and sharp pain in her head. An invisible drill that digs between her temples. Relentless, fierce,  _ desperate _ .

“But, who gave it to me…?” Amity whispers, forgetting all about Emira, about the hotel they’re in, the trip they’re doing, the village, of her.

_ Come on, who gave it to me? Was it mom? Dad? The twins? No, I’d remember. This isn’t a birthday gift, it’s something more special. It was a long time ago, but, who…? Who would give something like this to me? What did this mean? Why do I feel… this burden in my chest? This yearning? Who…? _

Amity can’t make herself remember. She feels tears starting to build up behind her eyelids.

Something inside tells her that, if she keeps stretching this string, she’ll find some answers.

“Hey, Amity…” She raises her face slowly towards Emira's soft voice. She had completely forgotten about her. Suddenly, she’s back in the real world, and she almost feels even more confused. The half-smile that her sister is wearing is filled with poorly hidden worry. “Why don’t you go and take a bath?”

“Yeah…” Amity stutters. “I’m going to…”

Still, she quickly breaks eye contact with Emira, again. Amity glues her gaze to the braided cord on her hand. Orange, like the crackling of the fire.  _ A fire… that once danced in the night… with traditional music flooding around…  _ More confusing memories. 

She shakes her head with the feeling that, if she takes her eyes off it even if for just a second, she’ll never find an answer. Amity focuses on searching inside her memories, a raging sea that’s spilling pieces of her over the edge of the world. Unkempt, untamed, rebellious. Amity’s head is full. Of memories that she can’t recall, of faces that are blurry, of voices that are long lost. Full of everything, but not a single sound.

When she manages to pay attention, she realizes the celebration next door is over. They must have gone to sleep.  _ It’s gotta be late _ . The lonely sound of the autumn insects echoes in the room. Emira stares at her. Expecting, patient.

“Once… somebody who used to make those braids told me…” A memory sneaks into Amity’s mind, crystal clear. Their words stick to the shards of her heart. An important life lesson, a message that goes beyond dream and reality.  _ Whose voice is that? _ A gentle, hoarse, snarky, familiar voice. “They told me the braids represent the very flow of time. The cords turn, intertwine together, split apart and reconnect again. That is time. That is…” The autumn covered mountains. The sounds of the valley. The smell of the river. The taste of the tea. A tree in the middle of the silence. The other half of someone. “That’s… a  _ bond _ .”

All of a sudden, the landscape stretches before her. Images fill Amity’s mind gushingly, bursting through the walls in her head bouncing fiercely.  _ You lived this _ , they seem to say, to scream.  _ You were here. You walked these paths. You heard those words.  _

_ It happened.  _

_ It was real.  _

_ You are so close. _

Amity’s heart beats out of control, nearly cracking her ribs. It beats in her chest, in her temples, in her veins, her head, everywhere. Amity remembers. _ I remember. _ The sacred repository at the top of the mountain. And that jar they gave as an offering. The other half of...

“Is it possible that… that place…?”

Amity pushes away everything on the table with her arm. 

Books, magazines, even her phone, it all falls to the ground with a strong thud. Emira's startled, but she doesn’t say anything, observing Amity’s moves with an unreadable expression on her face. Amity searches in a drawer for a map and, when she finds it, she lays it on the table with urgency. It’s a map of Bonesborough, of the village three years ago, covered in dust because it’s been abandoned in some shop all this time, up until someone found it and brought it to the library, from where Amity took it. In this map, the lake is still with its original shape, and Amity finds this comforting. Her head is spinning, thought after thought, processing. The place they went to give that offering on the top of that mountain must’ve been fairly far from the zone where the meteor crashed. If Amity’s right, it should be intact.

_ Just maybe, if I go there… If I find that place again and the jar is still there… _

Amity picks a pencil and starts scanning through the map to find any shape that matches that particular mountain, that kilometric depression at the top where there was nothing but an overwhelming silence. If she remembers it right, the area was much further north from the sanctuary, and it had a cauldron shape. She begins to desperately search for a spot that meets these conditions, jumping from one point to another on the map, with pinpoint accuracy and relentless tenacity.

Amity believes that Emira is speaking to her, but her voice sounds awfully distant. Amity finds it impossible, unbearable, to look away from the map right now.

That is, until she finds it.

* * *

“…ty… Amity…”

Through the thick fog that enfolds everything, Amity can hear a muffled sound. The voice of a girl.

“Amity… Amity.”

The distant voice grows clearer in her ears. For a moment it feels like that voice is about to burst into tears. Kind, as if it didn’t want to scare her. But intense, as if it wanted something from her. A voice that blinks like a distant star, broken with sadness, full of something Amity can’t read.

“You don’t… remember me?”

The voice asks her with concern. For a moment, Amity feels a sting of nostalgia. And it hurts. It hurts right in her chest, under her skin, across her nerves, inside her head. Like every fiber of Amity’s being wanted to get close to that voice. To comfort that voice. To  _ recognize  _ it.

Soft, familiar curves fade away from her. She’s aching.

Amity drowns in a sea of hazel.

* * *

She awakes all of a sudden.

_ Oh, right… We’re at the hotel… _

It seems like she’s fallen asleep on the wooden table beside the window. The map of Bonesborough’s village still lies on top of it, creased. Amity slowly rises, her back hurting. Actually, everything hurts. She feels as if she’s twenty years older somehow. As Amity stretches, her bones pop satisfactorily and her limbs start to not feel that numb. She hears the gentle, soft breathing of a sleeping Emira and Edric right on the other side of the thin door. Amity breathes in deeply, filling her lungs with the cold night air. Without Edric’s stupid jokes and Emira's constant complaints, the room is strangely quiet. No sounds of bugs nor cars passing by, like it happens back at home.

Amity gets up from the chair, careful to not make any noise. The sound her clothes do when she moves seem so loud it almost makes her heart jump out. On the outside, some faint rays of light start to appear all around. Sunrise, Amity thinks to herself, and the thought of being surrounded by light comforts her.

Like a magnet, her eyes go down, and Amity finds herself fixing her gaze on the braided cord that she was about to use to tie her hair. The echo of the voice of that girl back in her dream, that downhearted voice that Amity can’t quite place, still rumbles weakly in her eardrum. Like an old song without lyrics.

_ Who are you…?  _ Amity asks the stranger in her mind, hoping to get a silent answer. With all the strange things that have been happening the last few months, she wouldn’t be surprised if she actually got one.

But, as expected, the answer never comes.

_ It’s okay.  _ Amity shakes her head weakly and heads for her backpack, her mood light for the first time in what feels like a lifetime.  _ I have a plan anyway. _

**Emira, Edric:**

**There’s a place I need to go.**

**Go back to Hexside City, both of you, please. I won’t take long to come back, too. I promise.**

**I’m sorry I’m being this selfish, but this is something I need to do on my own. Still, I love you guys, and I’m thankful for everything you’ve done for me. I won’t admit this out loud, but I needed support at first and you gave it to me with no hesitation. You helped me on my lowest, but now I’m back on my feet. It’s time I make things right.**

**Thank you. I mean it.**

**Amity.**

She finishes writing the note and she leaves it on the table. After thinking about it for a few seconds, Amity takes out a few bucks and places them next to the note, under the teacup. She may not be able to give them back the time they’ve spent being here with her, nor make disappear the anger that Emira is going to feel when she reads this. But what she can do is try to make them get home safe. It’s the least Amity should do, after everything they’ve gone through for her.

_ As for you, girl I don’t know yet – this time I’m coming to find you. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amity needed a breather and time to mourn and get back on her feet; next chapter on Saturday, Amity will start the journey that leads her to Luz with an unexpected help!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amity makes her way up to the top of the mountain and finds the key to a second chance, to learn the truth.

He’s reserved and somewhat mysterious, but deep down he has a heart of gold. It’s the only conclusion Amity can get while she watches the calm hands holding the steering wheel.

As soon as she left the note and walked out of the hotel, Amity shuffled through her options. After doing quick math and calculating how many trains she’d need to take to get to that mountain, in her mind a thought rose brighter than any. She decided to call the cook of that restaurant they went to yesterday, Jerbo. After all, he took them to Bonesborough’s high school and, after that, to the nearest local library. So, when Amity called, she could only pray to have that good luck again. Some deity must have heard her, or maybe it was the homesickness for the village he once lived in with Viney, because he answered Amity’s call at six in the morning and offered to give her a ride again.

They’ve been driving for a while now, and Amity has learnt that Jerbo is quite a relaxed person, and that the silences between them aren’t uncomfortable, but reflective. To be honest, Amity has never been very talkative herself. She’d rather find herself in a comfortable silence than having a meaningless conversation. That’s why she’s looking through the window, content, observing how the sun’s getting higher and brighter each time, up in the sky, announcing the beginning of a brand new day.

From the co-driver's seat, Amity can see, down below, the shore of New Lake Bonesborough. Half submerged in the lake, there are still some partly destroyed houses and broken pieces of asphalt. And further away, deep in the lake, telephone poles and steel beams can be seen protruding from the surface. A chill runs quickly all over Amity’s back. She knows that this is a scenery that’s completely out of the ordinary, but for some reason, she has the feeling as if this is how it always had been. Probably because she’s spent the last two days looking at this devastation over and over again, be it in books, pictures or magazines. 

Still, now that Amity is seeing it so close, knowing everything that happened and without blind hopes covering her eyes, she doesn’t know how she feels. Should Amity feel angry that she didn’t make it in time? Frightened by the destruction that happened in just one night? Should she mourn and feel powerless for everything she feels she’s lost? Amity doesn’t know. She’s messed up. Her thoughts are all tangled. It’s possible that the annihilation of a perfectly functional village is a phenomenon that ordinary people cannot simply assimilate. So she gives up trying to find a meaning for the scene she sees around and, instead, Amity looks at the sky. The ash-colored clouds stretch over them, as if some god in heaven had placed a titanic roof over the earth.

They continue heading north along the line of the lake until they finally reach a point from which they can’t keep on driving. Jerbo sets the hand brake.

“Seems like it’ll rain soon,” he says, looking at the clouds through the windshield. Beyond, the rocky forms grow uphill, full of vegetation. “This mountain isn’t too difficult to climb, but be careful anyway. If anything happens, you can call Viney or me.”

“Thank you,” Amity says, but it doesn’t sound like enough.

“Here, take this,” he adds, and hands Amity a huge lunch box carefully. It’s wrapped in soft orange cloth with pictures of pancakes. “Eat it when you’re up there.”

Amity takes the heavy lunchbox with both hands not thinking it twice, a shy smile climbing up her face. The warmth of the food flows through the cloth and reaches her fingers. It's recently made, they must have gotten up just to make it for Amity.

“I don't… I don’t know what to say,” she stutters. Rays of light leak out the tree leaves and shine through the car glass. “Thank you so much.”

Having just met Amity, these people have helped her so much since yesterday, more than they’ll ever get to know. For starters, their food was delicious, made with love and care. And, after hearing that Amity intended to visit the village, they offered to take them here and there straight away. Viney, with her cool attitude, making her feel welcome; and Jerbo, with his aura of peace and his serene eyes full of knowledge and acceptance. Amity is really lucky that she found them.

Jerbo, meanwhile, smiles a little. Nostalgia overflows through his eyes like a waterfall, filling Amity inside.

“Viney and I don’t know your story,” he says, his voice soft as a whisper through the leaves. “But that drawing of Bonesborough was really beautiful. We both hope you find what you’re looking for.”

Amity feels a strong tightness in her chest. In the distance, she hears the faint sound of thunder.

* * *

As she walks along, Amity realizes small details of the world around her. 

Firstly, the access road to the sacred place is nefarious. There are rocks everywhere, it's not smooth, it's dangerous to walk on the edge, and it's slippery. It's so unstable that Amity doubts it's even for pedestrians. It looks more like an animal trail.

She walks in what looks like a forest on the side of the mountain. Pines, birches, poplars and some walnut trees swarm around her, like a labyrinth where everything looks the same. Their tops cover the sky like a living roof. The grass-covered ground between the rocks cushions her steps and the sound of her shoes. Being in between so much vegetation makes Amity feel like an intruder. And, with so many tall and imposing trees, she feels small. Around her, the day darkens and the thunder approaches.

From time to time, Amity stops and checks the map where she wrote the instructions to get to her destination. She also looks at the GPS on her phone, just in case. _ There's nothing to worry about, _ Amity tells herself,  _ I'm getting closer.  _ Little by little, she feels like she’s remembering. Like she knows some of the places that wrap around her. Some fragments of the road, some trees in particular, some river she passes by. But, in reality, this is just a mountain she came once while she was dreaming. Amity doesn’t want to be overconfident about this, either. It’s not as if she’d like getting lost in the woods in the middle of literally nowhere. So, right now, her only option is to follow the map’s indications and to pray this is enough.

When she stepped out of the car, Amity said goodbye to Jerbo and stayed next to the roadway while he drove away, until his car’s silhouette disappeared from her field of vision. And, while it did, Emira and Edric’s faces came to her mind. Deep down, her siblings, just like the boy and the girl from the restaurant, followed Amity here because they were worried about her. She imagines for a second how must have been being them these last few days. How they must have looked at her, completely unaware of what was going through her mind at the time. 

Amity is sure the expression on her face was terrible. Cause that’s how she felt, but they had no way of knowing. Maybe they saw everything through her eyes. As if she’d been at the break of bursting into tears all the time. A geyser about to explode, holding back so as not to hurt anyone. If it was Amity in that situation, she would’ve done the same. Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t have left her alone seeing her so weak and broken, but at the same time, so determined to find what she’s come looking for.

That’s why, for them and for herself, Amity has to change now. That’s why she left the hotel this morning. She can’t afford to keep this sad face anymore. Amity can’t keep on depending on people that surround her, that love her.

Even if it was unintentional, she got into this all by herself. Though, Amity wasn’t exactly alone. She was with _her_. And, now that she isn’t here, Amity is the only person in the world that knows. The only one that can turn things around to what they were. What they should’ve been. Or, at least, she has the duty to try. For her, to finally understand what is this hollowness in her chest that beats and bleeds for the absence of something. For Luz, to see her one last time. To remember her. To…

_ Tap. _

Suddenly, Amity feels a thick, cold drop of water fall on her face.

_ Tap, tap, tap. _

Drops of water start to fall everywhere, colliding with the leaves around.

_ “Seems like it’ll rain soon,” _ Jerbo had said. Amity should’ve walked faster.

As she starts to glimpse the shape of the New Lake Bonesborough through the trees, Amity puts on the hood and starts running.

* * *

It’s raining.

It’s raining so hard that it feels like the sky has put a thick cold layer over the mountain. Amity slides through the drops as fast as she can, running with all her might. The icy water mixes with the hot sweat of her skin, and together they fall down her neck, her arms, her back, her legs. The water falls around her with such force that it seems like it wants to carve grooves in the earth under her feet. Amity’s skin senses the instant lowering of temperature, as if the rain had absorbed all the heat of the mountain, of the plants, of her body. She crosses the drops of water as she speeds down the roads, looking for a place to take shelter. Her pointy ears, her hair and her clothes are completely soaked. The rain slides down her face like cold tears, dragging with it the good mood Amity had left, shattering it in its rainfall to the ground. Inside, her bones shudder.

Amity finds a little cave and she doesn’t waste a second thought as she gets inside of it. She thinks lighting a fire to warm her would be the smart thing to do, but she can't find anything to do it with. Also, all the things she carries in her backpack are probably as soaked as Amity is. So she just shivers as she waits for the storm to pass. And she eats.

She opens Viney’s lunchbox and a delicious food smell fills her nostrils, bringing back some of the heat Amity had lost. In the box, there are three rice balls as big as fists, an endless number of small side dishes, fairly thick tenderloin steaks, and sprouts of soybeans fried with sesame oil. Of course, the unusual lunch box with pancake patterns shouts to the four winds that it'd come from the kitchen of a cozy restaurant. The more Amity eats, the more she regains body heat until she stops shaking. As she chews and swallows, Amity feels the cooked grains of rice going down her throat to her stomach. When she finishes, she lets out a content sigh.

_ A bond _ , Amity can’t help but think. Again, that voice of her memories dances in her mind.

_ Whether it's water, rice, tea, food, alcohol... When a person consumes something, a "bond" is formed. What enters the body is linked to the soul, to the spirit. _

That day Amity promised herself that she wouldn’t forget these words, even long after she woke up. She remembers the sunset lights shining on her face, while the wise words of someone Amity doesn’t remember made deep marks in her heart, crawling between its cracks, brown locks playing in the autumn breeze. Tentatively, Amity finds her voice in the darkness.

“…They come together and take shape. They turn, intertwine, and sometimes they unravel. They break and then reconnect again,” word by word, Amity feels she’s found a thread, a connection with that dream that lays awake somewhere within her. “That’s a bond. That is time.”

She stares at the braided cord when she ties her ponytail again.

Orange. Like the sky, like the sun, like her soul.

It hasn't been interrupted yet. They can connect again.

* * *

Amity walks for hours. 

So many that she loses track of time. She only sees rocks and trees around her. 

Nature is swallowing her ability to see beyond and claiming her senses, growing under her skin. But she keeps moving forward. And somehow, without her noticing, at some point the foliage of the trees changes into a landscape of moss-covered rocks. At last, they stop covering all her field of vision and Amity finds the sky again, hooded and rainy.  _ Tap, tap, tap. _ The drops relentlessly fall around her, on her, soaking her up. Grey, blue, tired. Amity continues walking.

Farther down, among the thick clouds, Amity can see the silhouette of the two lakes. So small it could be just her imagination. She’s so high up the mountain. The hoodie of her jacket is soaked, and it’s fairly useless in avoiding the rain from getting over her hair, which is all also soaked. Drops of water, slippery like little cold rivers, slide down her back. But Amity doesn’t care anymore, not at this point. With a tired but content sigh, she looks around. The air comes out in vapor bubbles as it flows from her lips, thick and warm against the icy rain. Under her feet, the road ends. Amity has reached the top.

“There it is…!”

She takes off the heavy plastic hood. Drops fall from the sky and collide freely with her, cold and wet against the warmth of her skin. Amity opens her eyes wide.

Before her eyes stretch, at last, the depression in the shape of a cauldron that she once visited in her dreams. The rocks on the slope create a perfect circle that sinks inward, where miles of fertile land cover the top of the mountain with vegetation and streams of water. In the middle, the solitary figure of a huge tree stands solemnly, a gentle giant in the solitude of the caldera. And, around her, the most absolute silence. Only the raindrops can be heard, defying nothingness. A tired smile spreads across Amity’s face.

“It really does exist…! It wasn’t just a dream!”

Her voice sounds fragile on the top of the world. Waves of relief and hope overflow Amity inside. The rain, which has subsided into a light drizzle, falls on her cheeks like tears. _ I made it. I really did make it. I’m so close now…!  _ For a moment, Amity asks herself if she’s really crying. She rubs them abruptly with the sleeve and starts to descend the mountain slope, trying not to slip.

Crossing the fog, Amity finally reaches it, panting. The thin stream of water of her dreams has evolved into a pretty big pond that expands before her. She’s not sure if it grew because of the rain or because it’s been so long since she came here. Whatever it was, the pond gets between the colossal tree, around ten meters away from here, and Amity.

_ Beyond this point, I enter the Other World. _

That thought lingers in her mind for a second. Amity would swear someone said those words to her a really long time ago. For some reason, she has a feeling that she was scared once. Like she was afraid she may not come back, that she’d be lost forever, that she’d be locked up in the Other World. But now it’s Amity who’s willingly walking straight up there, hoping it will embrace her, hold her, give her the chance to turn things around and make things right. The chance to see her again.

Amity puts one foot in the water and hears a loud splashing, as if she’d just jumped into a bathtub. A dirty, frozen bathtub. The silence around her is thick and overwhelming, except for the small sound of the raindrops hitting the pond. The water, dense, reaches her above the knees, as if it were the children's pool in a sports center. Amity moves on little by little, making the same splashing noise at every step she takes. 

She has the feeling as if she was staining something immaculate and pure with her muddy shoes. Up until Amity came, this place was completely in an almost religious silence. At the same time, she feels how all the warmth of her body is again being swallowed up by the cold of the water, but she doesn’t let this stop her. Not this, not anything.  _ I’m so close… _ In no time, the water covers her to chest height. The hair on her skin bristles from the cold.

But, somehow, Amity manages to cross the pond.

* * *

The great tree is standing tall on top of a single rock, surrounding it with its huge white roots.

Amity is not really sure if the sacred repository is the tree, the rock, or if it actually is a combination of both which make that symbol of veneration. In the nook between some roots and the rock, there are narrow stairs that go down to a fairly large room of about six square meters wide, but that’s as dark as night.

The silence here is even more deafening than outside.

With trembling and practically frozen hands, Amity unzips her jacket and gets the phone out. She checks it isn’t wet, which is nearly miraculous, and turns it on. Each and every one of the little movements Amity does makes a tremendous noise in this mute darkness. Finally, the switch-on tone of the phone is heard, completely out of place, and then she activates the flashlight function.

Neither color nor warmth exist in this place.

The small sanctuary, just outlined in front of Amity thanks to the phone illumination, is covered by totally grayish tones. Maybe because of the passing of the years, because they are carved out of stone, or because no one has set foot here in three years, but the coldness of this place goes beyond temperature. Amity feels it’s cold bristle the hair on her neck, climb under her skin and melt, running through her body and her veins, settling deep inside where she can't reach it. There’s a small stone altar in front of her. And there, under some white cords with austere decorations, are lined up two little jars about ten centimeters high.

“That’s the offering we brought…”

Amity’s voice, not louder than a whisper, rumbles like thunder in the small room. She slowly gets closer, her steps echoing within the walls. She touches the surface of the container carefully, softly, as if it were to break and shatter at the touch of her hand. A warm, tingling sensation spreads across her fingertips. Just like that, the cold is gone.

“This is the one he made… King…”

When Amity lights up the container with the phone's light, an image comes to her head as if by magic. A cheerful and lively little demon, a sweet smile and pink eyes. Her demon. King. His name tastes familiar on Amity’s lips. The glow bathes her jar, and she remembers when he put it there three years ago. The solemnity in his gaze, as if he were doing something immensely important. Like wanting to make someone proud.

Amity lights up the jar on the left, checking its shape.

And another memory comes back, colliding with her with the weight of everything Amity shouldn’t have forgotten. 

Brown locks glowing under the sun. The soft touch of tan skin. Carefree laughter brushing her ears. Hazel that holds the world like a comforting blanket. Amity remembers the outline of her figure in the mirror. The curve of her neck, the shape of her collarbone, the line of her shoulder blades. The air caressing her skin. Her world through Amity’s eyes.

_ Luz! _

_ Her name is Luz! _

_ How could I forget? _

_ Luz. Luz. Luz! _

The warmth of her memory slides inside Amity, thick and sweet like honey, filling every corner and every crack of her body.

And, before Amity, her jar rests on the stone, frozen.

“This is the one I brought,” she says. “This is Luz’s.”

Amity reaches out and grabs it. She feels a weak resistance when trying to pick it up, and a sound of something dry and scratchy. Apparently, the moss was starting to cover them up.

She sits on the cold wet stone floor in front of it and watches it closely. The white ceramic surface, once glistening and shining under the sun, is completely covered with green, dusty moss. Amity can tell it's been a while. A knot builds up in her throat when she starts talking, images blowing up in the memories behind her eyelids.

“It happened just before that comet collided here…”

Amity remembers walking here, placing the offering, the feeling of doing something so important but in another person’s place. She also remembers the desolation of the village, the loneliness, the news of three years ago, and the catastrophe caused by the meteorite.

“This means… that the Luz I knew was the one from three years ago?”

With the hand she’s holding the phone with, her only source of light down here, Amity extends a finger and brushes the moss of the surface of the jar. The green rolls and falls at her feet, leaving some of the dirty, cracked white uncovered. Amity’s heart beats unsteadily. She feels the world's edges getting blurry.

“Our timelines weren’t synchronized.”

That’s the only logical reason. When she started switching bodies with Luz, Amity thought it was obvious that they’d be existing at the same time. Never did she double-check a calendar, or got especially curious about what day it was. Amity wonders if she had known before, would things be any different? If she had realized this sooner, maybe she wouldn’t be sitting here, on this cold floor inside a sanctuary in the middle of the absolute nothing, with her heart trembling between her hands. Perhaps she would be with Luz at some cafeteria in some part of the Demon Realm, listening to her human facts and her ramblings about nothing and everything. With those big brown eyes staring just at her and at nothing else in the world.

Or maybe not. Maybe this was inevitable. One of those cruel fate things that are going to happen one way or another in the end. But Amity is here, against all odds, defying the universe and demanding a second chance.

She unties the braided cord that wraps around the cap. Amity remembers it being red when she tied this knot with her own hands, once in a dream. Now, the color is all faded and shredded between her fingers. She undoes it. Underneath it, there’s also a tiny cork.

“We were three years apart. Then, the exchange of bodies stopped because three years ago, the meteor fell, and…” Amity’s voice breaks in the silence. The conclusion is as cruel and hard as the comet, inevitable “…she died.”

Amity’s chest hurts. Something is squeezing it, threatening to break her ribs, while she tries her best to find some air in this suffocating hole she’s in. 

Amity pictures the happiness all over Luz’s brown eyes when she saw the comet for the first time. Its brilliant sparks and the glittering colors of its tail. The blue, white, purple and yellow tones that drew a trail through the sky.  _ I’m so lucky I get to see it this close _ , she must’ve thought. _ I wish Amity could be here with me _ . Amity can almost hear this thought in her head, Luz’s happy voice echoing between her temples like torture; remembering those last words she wrote for Amity on her phone, and that she can’t go back and read because they’re lost forever. Her body feels heavier, more tired. Her absence weighs, but… not as much as the hope to see her again. That this can actually work. That, despite everything, the universe can turn back time once again.

With a satisfying ‘pop’, Amity uncorks the small jar. Immediately, there's a slight smell of alcohol in her nostrils, tickling her; she tilts her head with curiosity. Amity tries pouring a little on the cap.

“The other half of Luz…”

_ This is it,  _ she thinks. _ This will lead me to her.  _

_ This time, I'm never losing her again. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter on Wednesday is one of my top favourites!!! Finally all the backstories & the plot will be revealed, brace yourself for some angst incoming!


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is one of my favourite chapters: backstories!
> 
> Tw // angst, mentions of death.

She brings the phone light a little closer. The elixir of the First Witches has turned translucent, it's not like the last time she saw it. Here and there float tiny particles, bubbles in the thick liquid. Reflected by the light, they make brilliant flashes inside that sway in the cap.

“A bond. They come together and take shape. They turn, intertwine, and sometimes they unravel. They break, and then, reconnect again,” Amity repeats one last time the words that once in a dream sounded so important. Now, in front of the little stone altar, and with an only wish engraved in her mind, those words sound different. Solemn, like a prayer, a promise, a memory. Amity raises the cap full of elixir closer to her mouth. “If it’s really possible to turn back in time… let me go back one last time…”

_ Let me see her again! _ Amity pleas. She chugs it all down. The sound that her throat makes when she swallows surprises even her for how strong it is. A warm feeling takes hold of Amity and starts to spread all over her body, as if her stomach had burst into flames.

“…”

But nothing happens.

The drops of water leaking from the ceiling continue to fall to the floor, making a small rhythm that makes a deaf echo in the silent room.

_ Tin, tin, tin. _

Rhythmically. Again and again.

_ Tin, tin, tin. _

Amity tries to stay still for a while. Quiet as a statue. Waiting. Holding her breath for as long as she can. The elixir burning in her lungs when she finally breathes.

As she’s not used to alcohol, because back in Hexside City they only drink it on special occasions like New Year's or Emira and Edric’s birthday, Amity notices that her body temperature rises a little and her head spins. She feels lighter, as if she was floating. And her vision gets a little blurred in the corners. But that's all. Amity is still in exactly the same place. No signs of Luz.

When disappointment comes, it doesn't violently hit her like a wave or crash into her forcefully. It slowly climbs up Amity’s body, sluggish, inch by inch, as if knowing this was going to happen. That it was going to be useless from the beginning. That, after all, there is nothing she can do to see her again. The dejection covers Amity like a duvet, closing in every hopeful pore of her skin that was exposed. Until a suffocating sensation of  _ nothingness  _ is all she has left.

Amity sighs heavily, her breath smelling strange. _ It hasn't worked after all. _

She starts to stand up, ready to go back to where she came from, back home and back to her everyday life. Returning to Hexside City with a hollow in her chest, a deep hole like the ocean, just as dark and unexplored. Knowing that nothing would ever be the same. Because she couldn't fix what mattered most. She couldn't save her; couldn't see her again; couldn't hug her.  _ I couldn't...  _ Tears grow behind her eyelids, but this time Amity doesn’t bother trying to fight them.

_ Huh? _

Suddenly, she slips.

The world turns upside down. Amity tries to hold on to something, but there's nothing around her. Everything moves in slow motion. The universe tilts one, two degrees, and she loses her balance.  _ I'm falling _ , it’s all Amity manages to think.

_ How strange… _

She’s sure she fell on her back, but the seconds are passing and Amity’s back hasn't touched the cold, wet stone floor. Her field of vision spins and tilts slowly until Amity’s eyes stare at the ceiling of the room. Her phone is still in her left hand, held tightly, and now its light illuminates the vault of the cave.

“The comet…!” Amity says, surprised.

There's a huge comet painted on the ceiling.

The drawing is carved and painted on the stone above Amity’s head. It looks very old, as if it had been waiting for hundreds and thousands of years for someone to light it up. The comet that's shown has a very long tail in the sky. Around it, hundreds of small drawn stars stand out with shimmering yellow colors. Red and blue pigments shine when the light reaches them, flashing in the darkness of the room with green, orange and blue sparkles, bathing the whole cave with their colors. And then, little by little, the drawing starts to emerge from the rock.

Amity stares at it, her eyes opened wider than ever.

The drawing, the painted comet, is falling towards her.

Very slowly, it moves in Amity’s direction until it stays at her eye level. Enormous, titanic, brilliant. Suspended in the air. The friction caused by the contact with the atmosphere causes it to burst into flames. The comet explodes in burning colors in all directions, dangerously close to Amity’s face. And the piece of stone is shaped into crystalline materials that shine like jewels. Her eyes are now able to notice even the smallest detail. Every crevice of the rock, every spark, every glass, every movement. The comet falls, falls, inevitably, upon Amity.

Her body falls back completely and she hits her head against the rocky ground.

At the same time, the comet collides with Amity’s body.

* * *

She’s falling, sinking.

Or maybe she’s rising.

Amity feels like she’s drifting in the middle of an imprecise space. She hears the crackling of a fire, the sound of flames consuming something alive. A huge comet shines in the wide night sky.

The comet suddenly cracks and a part of it begins to fall down. Small but lethal, it pierces the sky at dizzying speed, leaving a trail of ice and fire behind, and blurs the edges of the fuzzy space Amity’s in.

Water. The sound of water drops fills her senses. With a thud, Amity feels like she’s drowning. Ever deeper, the water surrounds her all around. Soft and slippery, it soaks every inch of her body. But Amity doesn’t need to breathe. She watches the bubbles dance around her, tickling her skin as she continues to fall.

The cord of her hair tie untangles and Amity grabs it with her hand, it extends into infinity. Like a bond. Like time. Amity clings tightly as the universe drags her. It twists. It spins. It changes. It curls up. It breaks free. And it falls. And Amity falls with it.

The meteor falls in a village in the mountains. It engulfs it with its purple, red, blue, yellow, orange fire. It swallows all of it. Like a drop in the water, the wave it causes when it crashes stretches in the atmosphere, like a promise. Many people die. A lake is formed and the village is completely destroyed. The houses, the crops, the people. There is nothing left.

Amity watches the time go by, curling between her fingers and slipping away quickly. Years pass, and around the lake a village reappears. The lake gives fish, and the iron of the meteor brings prosperity. People live, more people are born, and the town flourishes. The comet comes back. Stars fall like they once did, people die all over again.

It's repeated. And it's repeated. Again and again. And then, Amity understands – Since people live on this island, this sequence of events has happened twice.

People tried not to lose this awareness, as this would happen again. Again and again. They tried to find ways to pass it from one generation to the next, using methods that lasted longer than words – representing the comet as a dragon, or as a cord. Making dances that symbolize the comet when it splits.

Again, another eternity passes. Time extends, stretches, entangles itself and makes a new bond. Something pure that hasn’t existed before. Something good.

A tiny cell, full of life. Of prosperity. Of hope.

Then it’s two. Four. Eight. Sixteen. It bounces in the blurry space before Amity’s eyes. And it grows, it grows strong as time continues to spiral around it, around them.

Amity hears a baby crying.

Small, pink and fragile. Her cheeks are puffy, and her eyes are tightly shut, drawing everybody’s attention to her. Her little head is covered by a thin layer of silky brown hair. Her petite tan body is full of energy, vitality, strength, excitement.

“You'll be called Luz.”

On the other end of her tiny hand, holding dearly a finger, the soft voice of a mother.

Lying in a white hospital bed, her brown look is tired but tender, sweet. Her dark brown hair is scattered on the pillow, unkempt; but her lips are smiling, giving off relief. And she only has eyes for her baby. The smallest being she’s ever seen. A warm feeling spreads through her chest. An instant of contemplation. A happy moment.

And quite drastically, they cut off the umbilical cord, breaking the bond that linked these two beings together into one.

This is how, by cutting a thread, a new person falls into the world.

* * *

“Please, you have to keep her.”

A slender woman with pointy ears and an untamed ginger hair scowls. Next to her, a different woman holds her hand fiercely. Her brown eyes glow with the sadness of the moon when she looks at her. She doesn’t have much time left. In her arms, a little girl hugs her tightly. A curious expression spreads across her face, framed by two pigtails of brown and rebellious hair.

The slender woman takes the little kid in her arms, sadness filling her golden eyes. The two of them walk through a portal, a field of flowers welcomes them on the other side. They will never return. The girl jumps and runs around the flowers, laughing. Life isn’t always simple, but everything would be fine. A new start.

“We’ll be taking care of her now.”

The little girl has grown some more. She’s behind the ginger witch with the owl-shaped staff, she’s learned to love and respect her. She’s talking to another witch, she also has ginger hair and big round glasses. She looks more serious. They’re sisters. The girl can barely contain her excitement when they tell her they’ll be living together. The owl house. A new home.

The owl lady caresses her cheeks sweetly, telling her how many things they’ll do together, and how she’ll be the best witch there’s ever lived. The other witch pats her head, looking at them both; the hope feels light in their chest.

“Your name’s King, and you’re gonna be my best friend.”

The girl leans over a wooden basket. Inside, a tiny demon baby looks back at her with curiosity. His eyes are pink, and the thin layer of fur on his body is dark and soft to the touch. The girl only feels adoration for her new friend, and she can't seem to wait to play with him.

Meanwhile, she sits around and tells him stories.

“Eda, when is Lilith coming back?”

The little girl asks naively, but Eda knows better. Her sister is not coming back home.

They're at the front porch of their house. Lilith left one stormy night and, since then, Eda hasn’t talked about her sister. The little girl and the tiny demon look out the window, hoping to see the familiar face across the street. Eda says something about the Emperor’s Coven and how Lilith turned her back against her, but they don’t understand.

“I’m sorry, kid,” it’s all Eda manages to say. The little girl doesn’t ask again. Bonds that are cut all of a sudden, mercilessly. Bonds that cry.

“You could’ve joined me…”

Lilith visits their home lately, but she’s not like the little girl remembers. Her eyes glow blue, cold as ice, and she makes the girl nervous. Eda always takes her to a separate room to talk to her, closing the door behind them.

The woman weeps deeply, warm tears falling down her cheeks. She’d never loved anyone as much as she had loved her family. Anyone, but herself. That’s why she left. She couldn’t handle the thought of a life without power, the power that was granted to her in the Emperor’s Coven. But now that there’s nothing left of her relationship with her sister, she only has her hollow suffering. But that won’t change Eda’s mind.

“No, I can’t. I won’t come back, Edalyn.”

Her gaze of ice points to the other end of the room. Her chest glows with pain.

“How dare you say this? Are you abandoning us again? We were supposed to protect Luz together!”

“If you could only listen to me! I never asked for any of this!”

The arguments between Lilith and Eda grow stronger each day. The harshness of her words digs into the small girl, who silently listens behind the door, where they can’t see her. Thick tears fall from her eyes, messy as her life. She slides down the wall to the floor, burying her face in between her knees; trying to get rid of the feeling that all of this is, somehow, her fault.

“I love you, but I will never join your coven and become a lap dog for a tyrant!”

The fierceness, violence in her voice roars inside the apartment. A full stop. A chapter’s ending. A bond that breaks and bleeds.

“Then, you leave me no choice!”

A flash of red, a bolt of pain.

Both sisters are way too old to change the order of their priorities. The woman with the icy eyes directs her worst curse at her own sister and she leaves her crying in pain, hunched over on the floor as her hair turns white and gray. After that, she never comes back.

“Luz, King. From now on, you’ll be living with me.”

The ringing of some bells resounds everywhere. The three of them are in the sanctuary, Luz and King sitting in front of Eda, listening to their lives change.

Eda takes care of them. The days pass with ease, and the pain normalizes until it's a simple memory. Still, the memory of Eda having been cursed by her sister never really leaves Luz’s mind.

Once again, the string that leaps through time is wrapped in the memory, sliding away. The sanctuary is left behind, getting smaller and smaller as time continues to flow, advance, ascend.

Amity tries to hold on to it.

To hold on to Luz.

Desperately.

* * *

_ These are… _

_ Luz’s memories? _

Amity is helplessly trapped in the middle of a dizzying torrent that drags her to its will from one memory to another. The torrent that belongs to Luz's timeline.

* * *

**“Who are you?”**

Words, written with black ink, stand out in a sheet of paper. Amity recognizes her handwriting in Luz’s notebook. Next to it, a pen, a rubber and a pencil with designs of cats.

Time goes on, it continues to whirl around Amity. These are the days of the body exchange she knows so well.

_ Who am I? _ , Amity hears Luz’s voice in her head, everywhere, in Luz’s memory. _ I should be the one doing the asking! Who are you!? _

Amity sees herself in her room in Hexside City, but that’s not her. She watches how, letter by letter, Luz writes her name in Amity’s hand before going to sleep.

**“Luz”**

So Amity sees it when she wakes up. A silent answer to her question. A new start. The beginning of their bond.

Amity sees Luz’s face in the mirror. Her frown. Her short hair ruffled by the wind. Her big hazel eyes focused. But that isn’t Luz either.

Amity remembers this moment. With a black marker, she wrote ‘idiot’ on her cheek. It was Amity’s little revenge because Luz did that to her before.

Connected, existing together with time flowing against them. The scene changes.

The city of Hexside that Amity sees through Luz's eyes shines as if it were a distant and unknown place. The streets, the buildings, the sky, the people. Everything glows around her in a way Amity has never seen before. Every detail looks huge, important. Everything is brimming with energy around her. Even though Luz and her have the same organs of vision, Amity feels like she’s seeing a completely different world.

“I’m kinda jealous…”

Amity hears a whisper coming from Luz. She's sitting on her bed, barely awake. Her brown hair falls in a messy way. She looks beautiful. Her gaze overflows with sadness, as if it came from the deepest part of her.

“They must’ve found each other by now…”

It's the day of Amity’s date with Boscha. Luz glances at herself in the mirror as she puts on her uniform and combs her hair. The string of time is wrapped around her wrist. Orange, like sunset, like dusk. The end of a day, of a dream, of a bond.

On her cheeks, thick tears start roll down. Her face is confused, as if there were a thousand reasons to be sad, but none of them strong enough to make her burst like that.

“Tears…?” Luz mumbles to herself. “I…”

Amity tries to get close to her, trying to move inside this hazy space where she’s floating, to reach her. A hint of nostalgia breaks through her, and Amity remembers mornings when she also found tears in her eyes and wondered why.

“I’m going to Hexside City,” Luz tells King. Her voice sounds spontaneous.

They’re walking out of the sanctuary, on Luz’s way to school. She seems troubled, hesitant. The dark circles under her eyes hold hopes that are starting to break.

_ To Hexside City? _

Amity’s heart skips one, two beats. Luz’s tired smile pierces her like fog when she walks on. King follows her, bombarding her with questions. Luz starts to run.

The flow of time shifts, dragging Amity with strength. The space around her thickens, but she’s still floating. Amity’s chest shrinks.

“Oh, right, the comet. Today's the day that's gonna look brighter, isn't it?”

Luz’s on the phone with Willow and Gus. Her voice sounds muffled, drained. She talks about the comet without joy, as if the world lost its colors. She finishes brushing her hair in front of the mirror. The silhouette of her body is visible under the purple tones of a pretty suit-dress, matching her big eyes. She’s  _ gorgeous _ . Amity’s heart beats with inconstancy, with anxiety, with expectation. With  _ terror _ .

“Let’s go see the comet,” Willow and Gus invite her.

_ Don’t go, Luz! _ , Amity screams.

She’s behind the mirror, trapped in her blurred timeline. She knows what happens next. She’s trembling, holding the cord that connects her with the time and that sways like waves of water. Luz’s so close. She’s right there, on the other side. But she can’t hear Amity. Her cry comes to her world through the sound of a metal bell in her room. A slight breeze rocking her hair. Amity can't reach her.

_ Luz, get out of there! _

Amity begs her. Despair bathes her voice like a blizzard. She tries to drag herself towards her. Pull the string. Break the memory. Reach for her.

_ You have to run before the comet crashes! _

She feels tears falling down her cheeks, out of control, and she can't breathe. But Amity doesn’t care. Her entire universe has narrowed, so much so that she can only see Luz’s figure through the glass, through time.

_ Luz! Please get out of there! _

Amity screams as loud as she can, as clear as she can. She puts her whole body and soul into crossing the flow of the world and get to her. But Amity’s voice doesn't reach Luz’s ears.

Her sad eyes gaze beyond Amity’s. Hazel spills over through the cracks of space, and Amity falls.

On the day of the festival, Luz watches with her friends the comet, already closer than the moon itself. The sky is split in two by the vision of its tail, a thousand colors burning in the darkness of the night.

They just stare, fascinated by the beautiful spectacle. Gus and Willow stare in awe. Luz looks away for a second, and her irises are filled with the glow of the comet.

Then, the  _ horror _ .

The comet shatters into countless shooting stars, each one shining brighter. They are scattered across the sky like fireworks. Dazzling, fascinating, lethal. And one of the big rocks turns into a meteor, wrapped in fire and ice, crackling in the silence of the vault above. It starts to fall to the ground.

_ Run away, Luz! _

Amity screams with all her strength. A throbbing pain strikes through her chest, rough and sharp like a stalagmite. She feels like she’s splitting in two. The world is falling apart. Amity knows what's about to happen. She doesn’t want to see it, not with her own eyes. She doesn’t want to lose her again, having her so close. But Amity’s cries don't reach her, and her tears spread like broken pieces of glass through the flow of time.

_ Luz, go! Now! _

She sees the terror lurking in Luz’s eyes. She knows stars don't fall, not like this. Above her head, the sky crumbles into a thousand pieces.

_ Get out of there, please! Please! _

Luz sees the rocks fall to the ground before she can process what's going on. All around her, everywhere, large rock stones fall from the skies, shrouded in flames. They collide with the earth, with the people, with the valley. And they break everything, tearing apart all that is in their way. An ancient and dark feeling overwhelms her mind, her body, her world. The deepest and most visceral terror, black and sticky, impossible to escape. 

Suddenly, she  _ knows  _ that she won't come out of this alive. That her life ends there, at the mercy of a comet that keeps detaching pieces of sky, devastating everything. Her ears only hear the sound of the earth breaking around her, and the cries of her friends. But she can't run, her feet are glued to the ground. Her eyes are fixed on the comet that's right above her head, ardent and inevitable like a titanic and gigantic burning eye, about to consume her.

_ Luz, Luz, Luz! _

Amity screams, she cries and she kicks. She fights with all her strength to move in this diffuse universe, in this timeline that doesn't belong to her. She wants to break the thread. To break destiny. To fall into Luz’s world and hold her while the inevitable happens around them. Amity shakes violently in all directions, defying the control of the universe. Her joints hurt, twist, as if they were about to split from her body. Her head is spinning, aching. Amity can't do anything, just cry and yell at her to save herself, to save herself, to  _ live _ .

_ LUZ! _

In the end, the star falls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter was shorter than usual, but I felt like it's a lot of information and it deserved its own chapter.
> 
> Next saturday... How is Amity going to fix this!?


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amity is back in Luz's body and will try to convince everyone to evacuate the village.

Amity opens her eyes.

She sits up immediately, panting. The air comes in and out of her lungs in shaky breaths, with urgency, as if all the oxygen in the world was somehow running out. Her mind recalls all she has just seen, and though it feels like a faraway memory, the images are clear and burning within her – the flames consuming the comet, people screaming all around, the sound of the earth breaking beneath her feet, the world collapsing and falling apart in a split second. The tips of her fingers are trembling and with them come that feeling of insecurity and hollowness that makes its way through her chest. Amity holds tight the sheet that covers her body.

_ Huh? _

Amity looks around.

_ Wait, is this – _

_ Yes! It – It is! _

_ I made it! _

Right in this very second, Amity is certain.

She gets up quickly, her heart hammering inside her ribcage, the fickle rhythm like the outburst of a horse. Lowering her gaze, Amity stares at her body – long fingers, nails slightly shorter than usual and without nail polish; the wrinkled grey sleeveless top that cover soft tan skin underneath; waves of silky brown hair scattered through where Amity can see.

Her eyes grow wide open, feeling the clean air fill her lungs, a soft breeze dragging away all the heaviness that weighed in her chest. The tips of her fingers are still slightly trembling, but this time it’s for all the right reasons.

_This can’t be happening_ , Amity thinks, trying to wrap her head around the possibility. _I watched her… Everyone was…_ _She was…_

Amity shakes her head, confused. The reality that is, for once, brighter than her wildest fantasies sounds impossible in her head. Yet still, Amity’s heart longs to believe what her eyes are telling her. 

_ Is this really…? _

“Luz…” A quiet whisper leaves her lips, the tiniest bit of hope coloring her words. “It’s Luz…”

When she speaks, it’s Luz’s voice that fills her ears. Amity feels tears start to build up behind her eyelids, but she can’t cry, not now that she’s connected to her again. 

She raises her hands and presses them to her closed eyes, trying to stop the overwhelming feeling that overflows her inside. If anyone asked her, she wouldn’t say this out loud, but Luz’s voice sounds in her ears like the softest music she’s ever heard. No, it’s beyond even that. It’s something Amity never thought she’d have the chance of hearing again. She watched her flicker and die under the heaviness of a scattered sky, the flames consumed everything in sight, Amity had seen the horror unfold upon her two eyes. With pursed lips and heavy fists, Amity had felt the darkest despair and sadness break through her chest, leaving her numb and hopeless. She had  _ lost her _ . That was a fact, she was nowhere to be found. Yet, somehow, Amity managed to reconnect with her. Her stubbornness led her to Luz again, and now…  _ Now… _

Now she’s back to her, not irredeemably lost in the abyss of broken hopes and dreams, out of reach for her trembling hands. Amity had accepted that fate, for a heartbreaking moment she had accepted that Luz would never be her anchor, her voice, the soft melody that would tell their story to the world. Still, there’s no doubt.

Looking around, taking in every little detail of this room she’s visited in dreams so much, Amity feels at ease. The muscles of her neck tense under her skin. Warm, ready, alive. Amity moves her toes and watches them oblige, playing with the sheet she’d left falling halfway to the ground when she got up.

Amity closes her eyes, breathing steadily. She feels her blood, warm and running through her veins from the tip of her toes to her head. Beating, beating,  _ beating _ . Strong and firm, insistent, fighting to keep this body alive. 

Sharpening her hearing, Amity finds it. Clear as the morning sky. Strong as a wild volcano. Her heart hammering in her chest with no pause, no rest, sending waves of warmth to all the hidden spots within her. Amity feels the building up tears heavier behind her eyelids, a little knot making its way in her stomach. It’s such a beautiful sound, the sound of life, that every part of Amity’s soul shivers at feeling Luz so close, so near. So real and alive.

_ I did it, Luz _ , Amity thinks to herself, letting a single tear roll down the shape of her cheek, warm and ethereal like the breeze that takes away the suffocating heat of the summer. __

_ I made it here. To you, Luz. I’m here with you. _

It’s her voice, cheerful and unburdened. Her long neck. Her soft bed. Her body, her tan skin, warm under Amity’s fingers. Her bones. Her short hair. Her curves, her sharp places and her scars. It’s Luz. Luz’s body feels home, and safe, and warm, and it’s here.

“You’re alive,” Amity whispers to no one in the room.

She wraps her arms around her figure, which is actually like hugging herself. It’s the closest Amity can be to hugging Luz, but right now this feels like enough. She had lost her, irredeemably. Amity was totally and utterly convinced about that. She had lost everything in a game she never wanted to play in the first place. But, mimicking Luz’s stubbornness, Amity challenged destiny to play one more round and she managed to turn everything back around somehow. Now all the cards are on the table. Amity’s hopes, their future together, Luz’s life as well as the lives of hundreds of people. Amity has made it up to her, and there’s no way she’s letting go this time.

Between her arms, Luz’s extraordinary warmth fills her heart with comfort. It’s not like what you feel when you come home after a long time – though, somehow Amity feels like that, too. But no, this is like she’s never left in the first place, but now she can see the value of being home. As if now, all of a sudden, Amity knew this is where she wants to stay forever, where she belongs. In this warmth. In a world where Luz is alive. No matter the cost. Amity feels like any sacrifice is small at this point, worth it if, in the end, she makes it to the very last round of the game; if she wins, the prize of winning will gazing what’s beyond the brown of Luz’s eyes, the fluttering trembles of Amity’s heart when she’s in Luz’s arms.

Amity hugs herself, the tears start falling. Just the way a broken tap works, thick tears fall down Amity’s cheeks, Luz’s eyes, full of confused feelings and emotions that were once broken but that now are starting to heal. 

Her closeness makes Amity feel so happy she can’t stop her tears anymore. What started as quiet whimpers grow to be full sobs, ever so slowly letting go of the control she has over her body, giving in to the overwhelming feeling of relief that flows through every crack of her tired self. Within her chest, through her sobbing, Amity feels her chest overflowed with happiness, bigger and brighter than anything she’s ever felt in her life. The creases and scars of her heart, shattered by the despair of a reality where she’d lost everything, start to heal very slowly, the once empty cracks feel whole again at the flickering promise of a ‘maybe’. Amity bends her knees, placing her wet cheeks on them, hugging tightly Luz’s body.

Luz.

_ Luz, Luz. _

Maybe they were bound to never find each other again, that’s a possibility. The cruel destiny, playing with the twists and turns of time, meddled in their lives and their paths. Giving Amity everything, things she never thought she’d crave so much, opening her eyes to a world of quietness colored with the dreamiest touch of some hazel eyes. Taking everything away from her, piercing Amity’s guts with the force of a comet demolishing the earth beneath her feet, covering the world in ashes, falling from a sky that burns with flames of ice and fire.

Maybe they were bound to never find each other again. Still, somehow, they dodged that possibility. No, not dodged. They had faced the possibility of that broken world and they had refused to accept it. Demanding a second chance, an improbability in a universe where time plays with human lives at its will; and it’s been granted. They’ve been granted a miracle. Half a miracle, maybe. The other half will be managing to, once and for all, fix the past.

“Luz? What are you doing?”

The sound of the opening door startles Amity, but even more so the voice that comes with it. Amity raises her head slowly and finds King, his paw still on the doorknob.

It’s been months since Amity last saw King, but he looks exactly the same.  _ Of course, the time hasn’t passed for them _ , Amity understands at the same time that her eyes scan the demon from head to toes, especially his dark fur and tiny paws, so tiny. Maybe that’s why she’s so endearing and cute, even though Amity knows that King is the almighty King of Demons.

Once again, a wave of warmth and care fills Amity inside. She’s never had pets or demon friends, but the platonic and family love she feels for King is undeniable. Maybe it’s because she’s in Luz’s body. Maybe Luz loves this little demon so much that even her body remembers that sentiment when she isn’t in it. Just like we unconsciously remember movements and actions, Luz’s body remembers loving the people around her. Anyhow, Amity feels an unstoppable will to hug King.

“King,” Amity whispers, her shaky voice clearly letting on that she’s been crying until recently. “King, you’re okay…”

“Of course I’m okay, Luz,” King says, his confusion growing, tilting his head. “Why wouldn’t I – ”

Before he can finish her sentence, Amity wraps him around in a tight hug. His small figure fits perfectly in Luz’s arms.  _ Luz must be a good hugger _ , Amity thinks to herself. She pictures herself being surrounded by her arms, one hand holding the base of her head and the other strongly securing her waist. All over again, that wave of warmth overflows her inside, tickling Amity on its way down up her veins, blooming in her cheeks.

“Luz? What’s going on with you?”

Despite him being confused, King is a kind demon and he returns the hug, placing his head easily on Amity’s shoulder, like someone who has done this one billion times. Amity can’t help but smile.

“Nothing, nothing. Everything is okay, King,” Amity says, making circles on his back with her thumb. King hears these words and relaxes, accepting his fate of being hugged. Amity’s heart's content. “I’m just happy to see you.”

“I’m happy too, I guess,” he says, giggling a little. “You know we see each other every day, right?”

“And we’ll keep seeing each other every day,” Amity nods, leaning back enough to look at King’s eyes, a big smile drawn in her face, Luz’s face, “every day of our long,  _ long  _ lives.”

“You’re really weird today, Luz,” King shakes his head, searching in Amity’s eyes something that explains the source of all this happy and hopeful feelings she’s projecting onto the demon. He soon shrugs, remembering the reason why he came in the first place. “Anyway, Eda says breakfast is ready. I’ve already eaten, so be quick or I’ll eat yours, too!”

“Sure, thanks,” Amity says, freeing King from her grasp. “But please don’t, I’m starving.”

King nods and takes one, two steps back. The last thing Amity sees is his open smile before running down the stairs with enviable speed.

So small, so sweet, so innocent. Yet so mature, strong and resilient. King resembles Luz a lot. They have both been through the unimaginable, now Amity knows. She saw it when the flow of time tangled their memories between her fingers, dragging Amity through the course of a timeline that wasn’t hers, but Luz’s. Their lives haven’t been easy, far from it. Around them, there are long-casted shadows of those who aren’t here anymore, vacant places that will always stay cold and lonely, a long path to trail ahead.

That is exactly the reason why Amity’s back. That’s why she’s pulled the endless string of time until she's reached this village she can’t get out of her head. Their story was incomplete. The comet crushed and burned everything to the ground, dragging with it the strings of the futures that could’ve been but that lay twisted and broken like the village, like its people. Like Willow, Gus, King, Eda. Like Luz, like many others.

For them, Amity is back. To give them back the chance of continuing their story. To break the cycle of death and destruction. To save Amity’s heart from the deepest and most terrifying pain, and the person her heart holds dearest. To hold Luz in her arms and never let her go where Amity’s hands can’t reach her.

She has a second chance; Amity knows how valuable this is. She’s come way too far to fail now. She’ll do anything it takes to change the story.

* * *

The WTV girl is cheerfully talking on the TV. Amity frowns. 

With Luz’s uniform on, she’s just come down the stairs to the living room. Outside, the early birds are singing their usual song, the sounds of the countryside filling Amity’s ears like they once did when she first came to this village. It’s been many weeks, months, so much time that she had almost lost all hope she’d ever stand on this ground again, in this living room, listening to those birds sing. It’s peaceful, like nothing bad can happen if she stays here, like it’s a regular day when the most interesting or out of place thing that can happen is that a new baby is born or that someone passes away. 

But Amity knows better. Today is the most important day this village will ever face, the turning point, the last chance of having a brighter future – of having any future at all. 

And she’s the only one aware of this.

“The comet Tiamat,” the WTV girl goes on, looking almost excited to be giving this news. Amity listens carefully, she wants to know to which extent these people know what they are up against, “which has been visible to the naked eye for about a week, will reach its perigee tonight at about 7:40 p.m. and will be more luminous and brighter. Therefore, the climax of this celestial spectacle, which only happens once every 1200 years, will take place tonight. Various activities are being prepared in various regions...”

Something clicks in Amity’s head. A chance of hope.

“She said it will take place tonight,” she whispers to herself, feeling the build-up inside of her as if she was about to fight some highly difficult final battle. “That means there’s still time.”

“Good morning to you too, kiddo,” Eda appears out of thin air beside Amity, almost startling her. “I had to pry King away from your food, what took you so long?”

“Good morning, Eda,” Amity says while she turns around. The owl lady is carrying a tray with a teapot and two glasses, so Amity guesses she was about to make some tea for both of them.

When Eda locks eyes with Amity, her expression changes.

“Huh?” She says, her eyes growing just a bit wider. Eda tilts her head ever so slightly, scrutinizing Amity with her questioning gaze. Finally, she opens her mouth. “You’re not Luz, are you?”

She doesn’t sound angry, accusing or disappointed; she simply says this as a fact, like something that’s very obvious to see. Amity’s suddenly frozen in place.

“Wh…?”

She bites her tongue, too thick to say anything meaningful right now.

_ How did she know!? Has she known all this time!? _

For some reason, Amity feels guilty, as if she’s done something she shouldn’t have and now it was out in the open. Come to think of it, she’s kinda been lying to them for months now. She’s been impersonating Luz for a while, that’s true, but she has no shady reasons to do this! If anyone had asked her months ago, she would’ve said she didn’t even want to be in that position, yet she had to bear with the responsibility to keep another life in place and out of trouble. Now things were different, the game had completely changed since the moment she learned that those exchanges of bodies weren’t a game, that hundreds of people were in danger. All she wants to do right now is save Luz, save everyone from their dark destiny. A destiny that will unfold this very night if she doesn’t do something now. 

But here she is, feeling regretful for something that isn’t her fault and now Eda knows – Wait, Eda  _ knows _ . If she knows, maybe she can listen to what Amity has to say. Maybe with her help she can save the city. 

_ That’s it! _

“Did you know about this?” Amity says, trying her best to not sound as nervous as she feels right now. She needs to look dependable, like the weight of the world isn’t quite literally on her shoulders right now. “That I’m not Luz?”

Amity’s heart beats unsteadily in her chest, down her veins, behind her ears.

Surprisingly impassive, Eda sits down on one of the chairs that are by the living room table and shakes her head slowly.

“No, I did not,” she says, eyes focused on the pouring tea that’s filling one of the glasses. “I didn’t, but I’ve been noticing how you’ve been acting lately and that has woken some memories in me, actually.”

“Memories?” Amity repeats, mimicking Eda and sitting next to her.

“Yes,” she nods. Her voice sounds nostalgic in Amity’s ears. “The truth is that I also remember having strange dreams when I was a kid like you, believe it or not.”

_ Huh? _

_ Dreams! That’s it! That’s what connected Luz and me! _

_ Does this mean Eda also exchanged bodies with someone else when she had these dreams? If she’s been in my situation, that means she’ll believe me, right? _

Amity’s head spins around the possibility that maybe it won’t be that hard to save the village if she has a powerful and respected witch on her side. She feels the chance of hope growing bigger inside her chest. Maybe she can really make it, she can actually save everyone, save Luz. She has to!

“It was an extremely strange dream. Although now I barely remember anything about that life I dreamt about,” Eda continues, pouring tea into the other glass and offering it to Amity. She takes it, the hot beverage sliding down her throat and easing her unstill heart. “More than a dream, it was like being in another person’s skin. I was in a foreign place and I had turned into a young man I did not know then.”

_ That’s exactly what happened to us! _ Amity wants to tell Eda that, but she also knows she shouldn’t interrupt her story. She feels her excitement tingling in the tips of her fingers, holding the glass tightly.

“Treasure the experience,” she says. Her voice had suddenly dropped to sound almost sad. Amity frowns.

“Why do you say mean?” Maybe it’s just an old witch’s forgotten wish to live exciting adventures outside of her body, but Amity feels there’s something more she isn’t telling just yet.

“Dreams always fade when you wake up,” Eda says, a melancholic smile is drawn on her face when she raises her head to look at Amity. She feels a knot in her guts starting to form, she doesn’t like where this is heading. “One day those dreams simply stopped and never happened again. Now the only thing I remember is that I once had a strange dream. The memories of that young man I had become faded many years ago.”

“They fade…” Amity mumbles to herself, processing the information like she’s just been told about a fatal disease. She can’t wrap her head around the thought. How could she possibly forget about Luz? How could she –

_ They fade… _

_ Now that she mentions this… for a moment, I had forgotten Luz’s name, too. Back in my timeline when I was looking for her with Emira and Edric, I had… I didn’t know what we were doing there, like the whole trip was suddenly meaningless.  _ Amity feels the palms of her hands starting to sweat. She wipes them in the school skirt she’s wearing, her fingers slightly trembling as the memories flood back into her mind. _ I couldn’t even remember Luz’s face, her voice, her name. She just… vanished from my mind. Is that what’s going to happen to us if I don’t fix this? Will I forget about her? Like she never existed? Like everything was just – just part of a dream? _

Eda’s expression darkens a bit, slightly tinged with sadness.

“That’s why you have to treasure this experience, kid. As special as it can be, a dream is just a dream,” she says, sounding as if she really believed everything to be a mere extremely elaborated dream.  _ That’s not right! That person was real! _ Amity wants to tell her, but she sees in the owl lady’s eyes that, deep in her heart, she wouldn’t believe her. For her, those are just memories, a good dream she once had, all blurred and buried in the past now. Amity’s heart shrinks. Would she ever think of Luz as  _ just  _ a dream? “My mother went through these dreams as well as myself.”

_ So Eda’s mom also had these dreams? _

_ How is this all connected? _

Amity places the half-empty glass of tea down, her reflection in it blurred and confused.

_ That means… _

The thought makes its way on Amity’s head. 

This isn’t a one-time event. When Amity was being dragged by the string of time, she remembers watching the comet collide with the village time after time, the cycle of life, rebirth, death and destruction happening over and over again like a mantra, like an omen. Like it would happen again, tonight. Just like these dreams, they’ve been happening for generations, but no one has connected the dots, no one before has understood the real meaning behind the exchange of bodies. It wasn’t about the people connected, it wasn’t about the timelines, the feelings or the bonds; it was about reaching out, about getting this message into the world, finding someone who can help avoid a tragedy, break the cycle.

Time after time, the exchange of bodies has happened one generation after another for 1200 years, hoping to transcend this message of caution, of danger, of help. But no one knew how to see beyond the dreams, how to really reach out for the other person, trust that they’re real and not a vivid part of your imagination coming in the form of a dream.  _ Then, what’s different? What changed? _

_ It’s Luz. Luz and Amity, both.  _ They acknowledged each other, they learnt to see the world through the other’s eyes, to really see and live as the other, to care for them as the real person they are, not just part of a dream. They fought to be together somehow, but they hadn’t understood the true purpose yet. Then, the comet fell. They all faced death, they all vanished into dust. Luz vanished. Amity’s heart was broken. But she didn’t give up, and that’s the difference with the other generations. Amity held on to Luz’s memory, despite her brain telling her it was just a dream. She felt it in her heart, in her bones, that Luz’s warmth was real, that she once saw a beautiful landscape through her eyes. There’s no way such a strong feeling was based on a mere dream. So she kept fighting, defying the puzzles of time until she got here, her second chance. Amity opens her eyes a bit wider, feeling the gears finally working, the riddle solving itself in her woke mind.

“It’s all connected,” Amity whispers, Eda turning to pay her attention. Amity clears her throat and keeps talking. “This is the real duty of this family, to prevent this calamity that happens every 1200 years. That’s why you have the ability to connect through dreams with someone of the near future. That’s why you’re leader of the First Witches’ Coven. The real heritage of this family that, at some point, was given a method of warning that transcends time and generations. And when you adopted Luz, she became the next generation. It all comes down to this!” Amity says, her voice growing more and more excited each word she says, feeling everything making sense, all she has been doing and all she’s about to do being part of the bigger picture, of a master plan she hadn’t known she was such a key pawn to. “Every dream your family has ever had was to avoid what’s about to happen today!”

Amity turns to Eda, gazing deep inside her eyes.

“Eda, listen to me,” she says, but not like Luz anymore. She’s talking to her as Amity, someone who’s been sent to fix everything. Someone who will make this right, even if it takes everything she has left. Eda raises her head to look at Amity, the faintest touch of interest tingling in her irises. Amity’s voice sounds low and serious in her ears, heart beating fast. “Tonight the meteor will fall on Bonesborough – You’re all going to die.”

* * *

_ Who will believe such a thing, kid? _

That’s what Eda had said to Amity after she told her everything she knew. To be fair, Amity felt low-key disappointed in Eda. After everything they had talked, all they had shared – the fact that she, as well as her own mother, had also had these dreams and connected to other people – how could she not believe her?

On the bright side, she hadn’t treated Amity as if she just said the craziest thing in the world – which, in a way, she might have. She simply shrugged it off, like not paying too much attention to a kid’s ramblings.  _ This isn’t like that,  _ Amity thinks to herself.  _ Your lives literally depend on this, and you didn’t listen! _

Amity sighs internally, thinking that maybe Luz and Eda are somewhat alike after all. That stubbornness must be hereditary. Her original plan, that was getting Eda’s influence to help her evacuate the city, was out of the picture now. But that’s okay, Amity just needs to come up with a new plan to save the whole city, all while not looking paranoid so people would actually listen to her. And given Luz’s world-known comedic person, it will prove to be quite harder than expected to be taken seriously. And she had only so many hours. Amity had to think of something quickly.

As for now, she’s rushing down the road that leads to the school.

The gravity pushes her forward and she runs fast, faster. Amity breaks through the air around her like the falling comet, low whistles spiraling in her ears a moment before being left behind. The asphalt beneath her feet cushions her steps, her shoes making rhythmic sounds and rising small shades of dust behind her trail. the sun is shining strongly in the highest part of the sky’s vault, and Amity’s drops of sweat are running down her temples, her hair sticking to her forehead.

If Eda won’t help, she needs to find people that will. King’s out of the question as well, Amity doesn’t want to drag him into this and she knows that Luz wouldn’t, either. The only people left she can trust are Willow and Gus. That’s why Amity has pretended to set aside all the conspiracy theories and agreed to go to school when Eda had pointed out how late she'd get there. She wasn’t wrong about that part, she is  _ really  _ late. Not that she minds one bit how arriving late would affect Luz’s life, because if she can’t figure this out and get this right, there won’t be any Luz nor any Bonesborough after tonight. The tightness in her chest shrinks, Amity runs faster.

It must be around ten in the morning, the streets are empty. Amity hears the distant echo of some mountain bird's song. It’s a quiet morning in the village of Bonesborough, one like many others, this is probably what everyone is thinking today. They have no idea how wrong they are.

_ We’re alone in this, Luz _ , Amity thinks to herself as she rushes further down the street. 

Down below, Lake Bonesborough shines with the bright rays of the sun that meet its waters, like a bright and clear mirror that submerges the village in its quietness, the trees rocking softly all around with the gentle breeze. Amity thinks it would be a lovely scenery to witness if the world wasn’t falling apart. It would be nice to come back to this place once everything is okay. Once Luz is safe, next to her. She needs to save her, to save everyone. She holds tightly the fabric of her shirt right above her heart.

“I won’t let anyone die tonight, Luz,” Amity whispers to herself, partly to convince herself she can do this, but also partly because if she says it aloud, then it’s a promise. And Amity would never break a promise. Not one she’s made to Luz.

There's not even half a day left until the meteor falls.

* * *

Amity arrives at school, rushes up the stairs and the corridors. When she gets to Luz’s class, she goes to Willow’s desk, where she’s happily engaged in a conversation with Gus, who’s sitting in front of her, a lazy smile dancing on his lips. When Amity makes her way to them, she slams her hands on the wooden desk.

“Luz?” Gus says, looking startled. “What’s up with you this early?”

“Hello, Luz,” Willow says, much more collected than the boy, apparently more used to Luz’s outbursts. “I was wondering if you’d come today.”

“Of course I would,” Amity replies while tilting her head, suddenly very curious. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“I don’t know,” Willow shrugs, her emerald eyes as bright as Amity remembered. She twirls one lock of blue hair between her fingers. “You’ve been… distracted, these past few days.”

“Distracted?” Amity repeats. Had something happened to Luz before the colliding of the comet that Amity doesn’t know? Hadn’t she learnt everything about her when she was being dragged through Luz’s timeline by the string of time? Was there something else Amity didn’t know? Something she didn’t remember?

“Yes, that’s true,” Gus nods, scratching the back of his head. “You’ve been acting all sappy lately. Actually, there’s something we’ve been wanting to talk to you abou – ”

“That doesn’t matter now!” Amity shakes her head, a frown making its way to her face. She leans in closer to Willow and Gus, who look at her somewhat confused. But that doesn’t matter, Amity needs to say the exact words that will lead them to help her. She needs to be convincing, needs them to believe in her if she wants to save this whole village, needs them to trust her. Amity breaths in. “If we don’t do something now, tonight everybody in this village will die!”

_ Crap. _

_ Those aren’t exactly convincing words. _

Amity reprimands herself for being this straightforward. She’s always been the quiet and reflexive type of person, maybe it’s this situation that’s starting to slowly get to her, her patience is progressively running out as the comet gets closer. 

She raises her head. Apparently, Willow and Gus haven’t been the only ones who’ve heard Amity’s catastrophic announcement. She feels dozens of eyes hovering over her. The whole class has fallen silent; those who were absent-mindedly having conversations now turn to Amity and stare at her – at Luz – as if she’s said the craziest thing possible. Then again, she might have. Amity just prays this doesn’t affect Willow and Gus' willingness to help her and actually take action.

“Wait a second, Luz,” Gus shakes his head with a silly smile on his face, not believing her. “What are you talking about?”

“What do you mean?” Willow tilts her head.

At least they’re actually willing to listen. Amity needs to convince them she’s telling the truth. Without evidence and solely using her words, she needs to gain their trust now more than ever before. Amity looks around, the other classmates are starting to not pay attention to Amity anymore, returning to their small talks and meaningless conversations. _ This isn’t the right place to do this _ , Amity thinks to herself as she gets up and drags Willow and Gus by their arms outside the classroom.

“Wait, where are we going?” Gus protests.

“Luz, the class is about to start!” Willow says, the faintest hint of annoyance Amity has ever heard coming from her. It doesn’t matter now, everything will be worth it when they’re safe.

As Amity leaves the room, walking down the corridor followed by her two friends, Eda’s words come to her mind again.  _ Who will believe such a thing, kid? _

Eda was probably right; Amity can’t go around telling everybody about the meteor without any further evidence and expect them to believe her. She needs some kind of proof that this happened once, that it will happen again now. The documents about the meteor, the origin and meaning of the sanctuary’s dance, the cords and everything that this village had as a memento of the comet colliding were lost in the First Conquer of Emperor Belos, Amity remembers that. It’s not as if she could take Willow and Gus to the nearest library and tell them ‘there you go, evidence this happened once, help me save the village now!’. But also, Amity’s sure there must be something on the internet that proves that the Tiamat comet will fall again. She needs to find a way for them to trust her.  _ I can’t do this alone _ , Amity thinks to herself as she keeps dragging Gus and Willow further away from the classroom.

For some reason, the fact that Amity had managed to exchange bodies with Luz again had filled her with the certainty that everything would be okay, that it would somehow work out without much fuss; but now she’s realizing that’s the furthest it can be from the truth. If anything, the easy part had been finding Luz again, merging with her timeline and waking up in her body one more time. From this moment on, the story just spirals and grows more complicated.  _ It’s not going to figure itself out,  _ Amity assumes _ , I’m the only one right now who can make things right.  _

_ And I will, Luz, for you. That’s a promise. _

* * *

Or that’s what Amity thought. But, apparently, Gus was more than willing to believe her right away.

“Wait, wait, wait. Let me get this straight one more time,” Gus says, raising his eyes from the laptop screen and focusing on Amity instead, eyebrows knitted in a stern expression. “You’re a hundred percent serious about this?”

“For the tenth time, Gus, yes, I am a hundred percent serious about this,” Amity answers, watching him nod and process her words. At least she’s being listened to, that’s way better than the worst-case scenario she had pictured. Amity has figured she needs to seem like she doesn’t know that the catastrophe will  _ definitely  _ happen, she needs to sound like it’s highly probable and that’s why they need to be better safe than sorry. Amity can’t tell them she comes from the future, but she sure can explain some probability values to them. “As I’ve told you, tonight the comet Tiamat will shatter and a part of it will become a meteor. The probability that it will crash here is extremely high. I can’t reveal from which source I’ve picked up this data but I need you both to trust me on this.”

Gus, Willow and Amity are sitting on the old couch that’s stored in a classroom. Or what used to be a classroom, at least. Now it’s full of things the professors don’t know where else to place. There are two desks put together and a couch, so it’s useful to hide in here while everyone is in class and plan their strategy to save the city. But there are also so many useless things that make this room cramped and untidy. There’s an old stove that doesn’t work, three big shelves by the walls full of dusted old textbooks, CDs, old cassettes, some radios, posters from past school festivals, unused classifiers, two broken TVs, a tiny fan, a blackboard with tons of post-its, spare sport clothing hanging from the wall, and even a typewriter – _ how many years has all of this been stored here?  _ The air is dusty and it smells like there's a dump on the walls. But it’ll have to do.

“Oh, god,” Gus says, raising his hands to his head. “This is bad! This is really, really bad!”

“Wait, Gus, you don’t actually believe this, do you?” Willow says, surprised at how fast Gus has accepted every word Amity has said. She understands Willow’s skepticism; Amity herself wouldn’t believe this at first if she was in their position. Willow looks troubled, she bites her bottom lip. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, Luz. I do want to believe you, but this sounds…”

Amity gets it. It’s early in the morning, they’re tired, confused and probably hungry since it’s almost the lunch break time. She has to admit she’s hungry herself, Amity’s been too focused on how to save the village that she hasn’t eaten anything besides half the cup of tea Eda offered to her this morning.  _ Hm, that gives me an idea _ , Amity thinks as she finds Luz’s wallet in her skirt pockets and hands it to Willow. The girl looks back at Amity, confused.

“Let’s make a deal,” Amity says, placing the wallet in Willow’s hands. “You go to the store and buy all the food you want with this, my treat. In return, I'm just asking you to listen to what I have to say.”

As far as Amity knows, she’s sure she could buy Luz’s attention with food; she wonders if it would be the same with Willow. She doubts it. Her friend’s gaze is skeptical still, small creases form in her forehead as she furrows her brow, but eventually, she shrugs.

“Okay…” Willow sighs, taking the wallet and getting up from the couch. She turns her back when she’s by the door, fingers fidgeting. “I’m not sure what kind of game you’re playing here, but if you’re being serious, I will listen to you when I’m back.”

Willow disappears behind the door, leaving Amity and Gus alone. She turns to him, who’s looking at her like she holds all the answers. In a way, she does. Except the most important one, which is how to save the whole city and all its inhabitants. That’s the biggest challenge yet, but from the way Gus' eyes are sparkling, Amity’s sure she has one trusted ally in this, even if she doesn’t manage to fully convince Willow when she gets back.

“So,” Amity says, a little smile making its way to her lips. Yes, they can do this. “Let’s make a plan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter on wednesday: Gus, Willow and Amity will make a plan to save evryone, and Amity will have to face Lilith to make it happen.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amity, Gus and Willow come up with the perfect plan to save everyone!

Gus and Amity, alone in that unoccupied room in the clubhouse where they had snuck into, start to draw up a plan to evacuate the village. Which was, by far, easier said than done.

Amity figures they need to focus on the main objective – move the approximately five hundred people residing in the one hundred and eighty-eight homes out of the destructive range of the meteorite and redirect them to a safe area before the time of impact. After doing some brainstorming, they’ve come up with the idea that the most sensible and probably effective thing they could do was to send out an evacuation message.

“What if we take over the official residence of the prime minister of Boiling Isles?” Gus says, overly excited about the idea of committing illegalities.

“Are you sure that’s something we could do in the next eight hours?” Amity shakes her head, mentally discarding the idea. They need something real, something closer.

“And what about the Hexside Television broadcast center?” Gus tries again, tapping his lower lip with his finger.

“Isn’t that practically the same?” Amity tilts her head. “We’d still need to get to Hexside City, that’s way too far from Bonesborough.”

“That’s right,” Gus sighs, then turns to Amity again. “What if it wasn’t the WTV, but the Bonesborough Television broadcast center? That’s here.”

“True,” Amity says, still shaking her head. That wouldn’t do. “But it's very unlikely that each and every person will have the TV on, isn’t it?”

“Oh, right. I hadn’t thought about that,” Gus says, crossing his arms across his chest, thoughtful.

“Plus,” Amity sighs. “Isn’t this afternoon the autumn festival? Everyone will be on the streets; we can’t expect them to be watching TV exactly when we broadcast the message.”

Gus doesn’t answer and so they both fall silent. 

They need to do better, they need to find something that they can actually do, something that’s closer; probably illegal but not enough to send them to jail or anything, Amity would like to see Luz after this whole mess is over. If only there was something that could transmit the message even if the people are outside, something that delivers the warning even if they’re not paying attention to it, some way to make them alert and flee to safety. Amity rests her head on the fluffy upper part of the couch, closing her eyes while her head spins, spins, spins, looking for a valid idea.

“I got it!” Gus says, suddenly getting up all triumphal and startling Amity to death. “The wireless disaster prevention line!”

“The – The wireless what?” Amity says, hand over her heart that’s pumping wildly, trying to make her breathing even.

“The wireless disaster prevention line, come on,” Gus says, patting Amity on the back twice, smiling. “You know what I’m talking about! The speakers all over town, the radio that broadcasts who’s born, who’s passed away, who’s in charge of clearing the snow and the days of the school’s sport festivals!”

“Oh! Yes, I know what those are!” Amity says getting up too, swirled in enthusiasm.  _ Yes, this could actually work! _

“The message would be heard throughout the village! Both inside the houses and on the streets,” Gus thinks out loud, Amity beaming next to him nodding at his every word. “If we somehow managed to broadcast the message...!”

“Hm, I think the people in charge of delivering those messages are the people in the city council,” Amity says, biting her bottom lip, thoughtful. “I doubt that they’d let us speak even if we ask real nicely.”

“What do we do, then?” Gus turns to look at Amity, hands resting on his hips. “We take over the town council?”

“I mean,” Amity shrugs, smiling. “All things considered, it seems much easier than taking over the WTV.”

Gus smiles, too, but his smile is a playful one, like he’s actually considering taking over Bonesborough’s council. Of course, this could work. It’s a plan that actually makes sense. If they manage to broadcast the message as if it was an official broadcast, regular people would definitely believe the warning and they’d flee to safety wherever they told them to, which Amity considers it would be the village’s high school. She remembers it being one of the few places of the village that was unaffected after the meteor colliding. 

Flashes of the scene she saw back in her timeline flow back into Amity’s mind - Bonesborough completely demolished, the houses turned to ash and dust, the broken railways, the missing people. _ No, this time things will go differently.  _ If they manage to really broadcast the message, they can actually save everyone. Amity is willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen. And apparently so is Gus. Amity’s glad at how fast he’s jumped into her plan. He has sat down again, typing something on the laptop they have over the joined desks before the couch. Gus looks focused, excessively excited, even.

“We also have this option,” he says, turning the laptop for Amity to see what’s on the screen.

Amity leans in. She reads the words ‘frequency hacking’, 'superposition', 'wave frequency', and many complicated explanations among numbers and mathematical equations. Amity remembers having attended some classes of physics of the sound waves some years ago, but she wasn’t interested enough to keep the knowledge to this day. As for now, she’s glad Gus is actually interested in this, for some reason, as he happens to understand all that’s on the laptop screen. What’s more important is that Gus looks determined to make this happen. Amity’s heart beats faster.

“Are you for real right now?” She has to ask. This could be their one ticket out of this mess. “Are you sure about doing this?”

“I’m in if you’re in,” Gus nods looking at Amity’s eyes, brown irises shining with determination.

“Let’s do this,” Amity smiles.

She feels a weight she didn’t know she was carrying being lifted off her chest, as if she finally knows she’s not alone in this anymore. She has Gus now, who looks ready to commit to this plan to the bitter end, and she’s somehow sure that Willow will tag along, too.  _ Yes, they can do this.  _ If they meticulously plan every detail, there’s no way they can’t make this work. They just need the people to know there’s danger, to lead them to safety. When the sky starts falling and they actually see the fragments of the comet falling off to the ground, they’ll be glad they listened.

“Hey, Gus,” Amity says, tilting her head as she rereads the complicated words that are displayed on the laptop. “How do you know about all of this anyway?”

“Oh. You know, it's one of those pre-sleep ravings one tends to get,” Gus shrugs, smiling absent-mindedly. “Destroy the town, take over the school… Like everybody else, right?”

_ What? _

“That’s… weird, but okay,” Amity says, subconsciously moving a bit away from him on the couch. “Anyway, it's a brilliant idea, Gus. It could actually work.”

Amity raises her arm and half-hugs Gus. It’s not usual for Amity to initiate physical affection, if anything she’s the one reluctantly receiving it, but after everything she’s been through with this whole mess and how poorly the situation looked like a few hours ago, Amity’s relief feels light and immense in her chest, and that’s partly thanks to Gus here. The boy’s smile grows wider and he fully hugs Amity now.

“Oh, hug time!” He says, smiling sweetly. 

Gus is such a good boy. He low-key reminds her of Edric, somehow, though without the cool aura and more the sympathetic and loveable loser kind of guy.

“Yes, hug time, I guess,” Amity mimics his smile, a smaller one. She could get used to this, to being this friendly with Luz’s friends.

“You’ve always been the hugger type,” Gus says, letting go of Amity. “But this is always nice.”

Amity nods, picturing Luz going around and hugging everybody. Part of her knows she’s loveable and bubbly like that, but Amity also knows Luz is kind and thoughtful above anything else. She pictures herself hugging Luz after all of this is over. It’s a pleasant scene, some she will make come true. She wishes it could happen sooner, but knowing that at least they have one chance is enough.

Amity looks at Gus next to her, focusing his attention back to the computer and their plan, the softness of the moment having passed. 

_ He’s a good guy, it’s okay to trust him _ , Amity reassures herself. She’s always been the kind of person who’s happier and more content if she can take care of things on her own. She’s certain that if she manages her issues herself, then they’d have a much higher probability of being solved in the near future. But this is a situation that Amity knows she can’t face alone. During all she’s had to go through to be where she is now, standing in a past Bonesborough that’s still salvageable, being in Luz’s body, she’s learnt that doing things alone isn’t always the answer, if ever. 

It’s been hard to learn to trust others; she’s had to open up to Emira and Edric like she never had before, she’s broken down and cried and lost everything, but instead of hurting her and confirming her worst fears, they helped her. Same thing with Willow and Gus now; he’s actively trying to help her, to save the city just because Amity has profusely asked him to. She smiles, feeling a warm sensation blooming in her chest. It’s okay to trust friends, it’s okay to lean on closed ones to face difficulties. It’s okay to solve this together.

_It would be good to meet Luz once this is all over,_ Amity thinks to herself, _but it would also be great to meet up with Gus and Willow, too._ _Not as Luz, this time, but as Amity._

She finds herself thinking that she’d enjoy having conversations with Willow, even sharing funny stories with Gus. They’d have fun together, all of them. Amity would also like introducing them to Emira, Edric and Boscha; she’s sure they’d all get along. And Luz, too. She’d love to introduce Luz to her friends. Boscha would be her usual bossy self but Amity feels that eventually she’d be friends with Luz; Edric and her would definitely be besties by the end of the day and they would’ve shared a thousand crappy pranks that Amity would’ve rolled her eyes at; and Emira would smile at Amity when she’s standing next to Luz, she’d be proud of her, knowing what Amity’s heart holds but that she isn’t sure she can admit to herself just yet. But Emira would know, and she would support her. And Amity would love nothing else than to share her happiness with all of them. Luz, Gus, Willow and Amity. And Emira, Edric, and Boscha.

She’d fight to make that pleasant thought a reality.

* * *

“A bomb!?” Willow exclaims, raising her head to look at them, while she eats a piece of strawberry shortcake in a small plastic container.

After coming back to this spare room Amity and Gus had been in, Willow placed all the goodies she’d bought on the convenience store all over the table. Amity’s stomach roared in response to seeing this many junk but delicious food placed together. She and Gus had almost immediately jumped to grab as many things as they could. Amity has the vague feeling that this looks like they’re throwing a little party.

“A hydrogel explosive, more specifically. Let's just say it's similar to dynamite,” Gus adds in a smartass voice as he puts a handful of crunchy fries on his mouth. Amity’s having a taste of Marble brand chocolate chips while he talks.

Gus points to the map they have placed in front of them, a map of Bonesborough that shows the big Lake Bonesborough in the center, the main roads and also the most important buildings, like the high school, the city hall or the radio broadcast center. At the same time, Amity places on the desk the sheet of paper where she and Gus have drawn up in detail the evacuation plan they’ve developed while Willow was out buying sweets. Gus drinks his 500 ml latte from the carton and continues talking to an increasingly scared Willow.

“My father's company has a good handful of those explosives in storage; they use them for public works construction,” he shrugs, as if this was an idea he had long nurtured in his head and that was now coming to fruition. Amity was unsure at first, but now she feels all the pieces come together in harmony. This was a good plan. “So we don't have to worry, no one will notice; we can take as many as we want.”

“And then,” Amity continues when Gus' voice finishes his part of the plan, opening the wrapper of a piece of melon bread, a sweet bun whose shape reminds Amity of this fruit. Maybe it’s because she hasn’t had a proper breakfast, but she’s starving. And for some strange reason, eating with Luz’s body makes everything even more delicious. Is it because she isn’t used to eating this much junk food? Is it because this food comes from a non-ultra-processed grocery store? Amity will never know. “We intercept the signal.”

“Intercept the signal?” Willow repeats, scratching the back of her head, probably not sure if Amity and Gus are talking seriously at all. While Amity continues to eat her melon bread, Gus explains to her the detail she’s missing.

“Intercepting the signal from a wireless line in a rural area like this is a piece of cake!” Gus says, trying to sound reassuring to the girl who looks increasingly more concerned about his and Amity’s sanity. Amity simply nods, proud of Gus for having come up with such a great part of the plan. “It's enough to know the transmission frequency and the initial overlay and start frequency. The speakers will automatically activate when they detect a specific frequency overlapping the sound of a voice.”

“Meaning…?” Willow tilts her head. She’s probably as lost as Amity was when Gus first explained it to her.

“Meaning,” Amity cuts Gus off, still holding her bread in one hand. “We will broadcast an evacuation message to the whole village from the high school's broadcasting room. Simple as that.”

Amity leans in and points to Bonesborough’s map again where Willow can see, tracing with her finger the circle they have drawn in red ink, which is 1.2 kilometers in diameter to scale and in the center of which is the First Witches' Coven, Luz’s family’s sanctuary. Willow leans in, too, finally grasping how serious Amity and Gus are about doing this. Amity’s voice sounds lower, somber.

“This is the area where the meteor is expected to hit. And, you see, Bonesborough High School is just outside of it,” Amity explains, tapping the location of the school on the map. She looks at Gus, who nods at her in encouragement. Amity focuses her gaze back on Willow, brown irises full of determination. “Gus and I have concluded that the best place to evacuate people from the village is the schoolyard.”

“Okay, but…” Willow says, leaning back on the chair, eyes focused on the map that’s in front of them three. “Isn’t all of this illegal?”

Amity sighs. She knew Willow wouldn’t be perfectly okay with doing illegalities, but they don’t have any other choice, they don’t have another way of tackling this. The only way out of this whole mess is through. If Willow can’t understand that, Amity doesn’t have any other convincing arguments to tell her. She raises her head and looks at her, heart beating loud in her chest, in the tips of her fingers, behind her ears. She remembers the people’s screams, the smell of dust and blood, the terror in Luz’s eyes. She needs to convince Willow to help them.

“The people in that area won’t move an inch if we play by the law. We need to be smarter than that,” Amity answers in cold blood, moving away from the map the Marble chocolate chips that were scattered everywhere. “You know this, Willow.”

“I know, but…” Willow looks away, biting her lip.

“These people can actually die if no one does nothing. Gus and I are trying to make a difference here, even if no one else listens to us. We can change things, we can save them,” Amity says, placing one hand on Willow’s shoulder, next to her. She looks up at her, still indecisive. Amity’s heart beats faster. “If it’s the illegal issues that worry you, I’ll take all the blame. I don’t care if I become a criminal as long as we get all these people out of this circle. I’m asking you to trust me here, please.”

Willow holds her gaze. One, two seconds pass and none of them say anything else. All Amity can hear is the unsteady beating of her heart pumping inside her ribcage; a chill runs down her spine.

“You don’t sound like you, Luz,” Willow says, Amity bites her lip. “But you’re right. I’m in.”

“Great!” Gus exclaims. For a split second, Amity thinks she’s seeing him start to lean over them to hug Willow like he hugged Amity before, but he seems to think it over and stops straight away, going back to his original position in front of the laptop and focusing his attention on it again. There’s no time to lose.

This topic aside, something Willow said has bugged Amity. 

_ You don’t sound like you _ , Willow mentioned. That’s true, ever since she woke up in Luz’s body this morning, she hasn’t been acting like Luz much, if at all. Unlike all the other times when Amity tried her best to pretend to be Luz, this time she’s been so focused on trying to get this right and save the city that she has completely forgotten to try and pretend to be Luz. Not that it is any issue; Amity doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her – or Luz, for that matter – as long as they’re safe and alive at the end of the day. She wonders for a second if she should try to act like Luz, but given how difficult this situation already is, Amity is content enough that she can act like herself and also have Gus and Willow’s support in this explosive plan. Quite literally.

“By the way,” Amity says, a sneaky smile making its way to her lips. “You'll be in charge of the broadcast, Willow.”

“Me?” Willow says, lips slightly parted in surprise, her hand raised up to her chest. “Why me?”

“Because you're in the radio club, duh,” Gus says, nodding as if it was very obvious. Amity nods, too. “Plus, your big sister is in charge of the regional communications department of the city council, isn’t she? Try to get her to tell you the frequencies of the wireless line without being too obvious.”

“How can I ask something like that without being too obvious?” Willow sighs, accepting her fate. She’s signed up for this. Amity almost feels bad for her, but she needs everyone to do their part if she wants everything to actually work out.

“I'll handle the explosives!” Gus says, proudly pointing his thumb at his chest.

“And I’ll go talk to the Mayoress,” Amity says, pointing at herself as well.

Amity has been thinking about this for a while now, if it’s a good idea to go and talk to Lilith after what she saw following the thread of fate. Amity remembers that, in the prohibitions list Luz and she wrote to each other some months ago at the start of all of this, Luz specifically asked her not to talk to Lilith, like, ever. She hadn’t, when Amity was in Luz’s body she did try her best to stay away from the human-witch drama and respect Luz’s wishes to the fullest. It wasn’t her life, after all. Amity wasn’t expecting to barge in and fix every little aspect of Luz’s life, so she never attempted to talk to her, not once. 

This time, however, was an exception. She really needed to try to talk to her. Lilith is the Mayoress, after all, so if Amity manages to convince her to help them, the village will be one hundred percent saved. There’s a big difference from saving a village being a girl with her two friends and committing illegalities, to actually having the town hall’s support and evacuating people the right way. Amity isn’t sure if that would work out, but she sure will try her best.  _ For Luz’s sake,  _ she reminds herself. _ To see her again. To hold her. _

That doesn’t mean Amity isn’t terrified.

“Us three can put into action this plan,” Gus says, thinking out loud. “But in the end, the only way to get all the inhabitants of those one hundred and eighty-eight houses to follow the evacuation plans is through the intervention of the city council and the fire department, don't you think?”

“That’s why we need to get the Mayoress on our side,” Amity answers, more to herself than for Gus and Willow to hear. She needs to believe she can talk Lilith into their plan. She has to. Amity’s heart beats faster just by thinking of it, facing those piercing blue eyes in Lilith’s council office. “After all, I’m her sister’s adopted kid, her niece. I’m sure I can convince her.”

Next to Amity, Gus nods to himself while he whispers “It’s a perfect plan!”. Amity feels the same way, admittedly. They’ve thought about every possible outcome for the past hours, every plot hole, every inconvenience and little detail. They’re ready, the plan is complete; they just need every part to work perfectly according to it, like the gears of a clock, working in unison.

Is the plan entirely legal? Well,  _ no _ . But will it work and save hundreds of people? Including King, Gus, Willow and Luz, the one who makes Amity’s heart melt at the thought of ever seeing face to face?  _ Yes _ . And that’s everything Amity needs to keep moving forward.

“Okay, you sure have done some thinking,” Willow nods. By her expression, Amity wouldn’t say if she’s determined like Gus and her are or simply scared to actually take action. “But, just to be sure, this is just in case something happens, right?”

“Just in case?” Amity repeats, eyes opened slightly wider. She thought she’d made it clear that this was serious, not some extremely elaborate game. Amity shakes her head. “Not exactly, in fact – ”

“Hey Willow,” Gus says, typing something on the laptop and placing it in front of Willow where she can see the screen. “Do you have any idea how the Lake Bonesborough happened in the first place?”

Willow and Amity, who’s also leaned in to better read what it says, watch the screen carefully. 

Gus has opened a tab with what Amity thinks is the official website of the town of Bonesborough.  _ Who knew a place like this had its own webpage?  _ There’s a large header that reads: "The origin of Lake Bonesborough". Willow reads the article with much interest, while Amity already knows what it’s going to say. She’s seen it with her two eyes, but it’s not as if she could casually tell them both. It’s enough if they simply believe her, or at least they believe what this website is saying, that the comet fell once and it would fall again. Amity peeks at the article, though. Below the header, there are phrases like "The lake that was formed by a meteor rock 1200 years ago," or "A very rare case in Boiling Isles.” Amity nods to herself. She remembers seeing the comet fall once before Bonesborough even existed. The flow of time showed her.

“Does that mean…?” Willow says, tapping her bottom lip with her finger, pensive.

“That’s right! The lake happened because of the fall of a meteorite!” Gus exclaims, eyes shimmering in excitement. “A meteorite fell in this area at least once!”

“It could happen again,” Amity says. It  _ will  _ happen again, a hundred percent sure, but she can’t tell them that. As long as they stick to their plan, this is all they need to know.

_ The comet… _

_ …will fall again. _

The triumphant expression that Gus is wearing and his words make something click inside Amity’s head, as if two pieces just fit together. 

The images of a drawn comet flow inside her mind fast like lightning. The drawing carved and painted on the stone above Amity’s head.  _ Very old, as if it had been waiting for thousands of years for someone to light it up. A very long tail in the sky, hundreds of small drawn stars stand out with shimmering yellow colors all around it. _ The comet that emerged from the rock, collided with her and tangled Amity with the thread of time.

The comet Tiamat, which comes once every 1200 years. Lake Bonesborough, formed by the fall of a meteorite 1200 years ago. A meteorite falls once every 1200 years in the path of a comet. A catastrophe foretold.  _ And that's exactly why it's in our hands to prevent it _ , Amity understands. That painting was the last evidence they had, the last warning that this would happen again.

“That actually makes sense,” Willow says. She sighs, but then raises up her head and looks at Gus and Amity again. Her emerald eyes are glowing differently this time, Amity can tell. No worries, no doubts, no hesitation. Just plain determination. Amity smiles, a bubbly feeling spreading through her chest like an anticipated sense of victory. “I’m in. What’s next?”

_ This can work. We can actually make it, Luz! _

* * *

“What on earth are you talking about, human?”

Sharp like a razor blade, Lilith’s voice cuts through the space that separates them and cuts deep within Amity, her strength and willpower to keep up with this conversation flickering like a dying star. Amity swallows hard, fingers trembling.

Finally, Amity is here. At the Mayoress', Lilith Clawthorne's office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter on saturday, Amity will face Lilith Clawthorne and she will try to change her heart.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW // swearing words , anxiety attack - ish
> 
> Amity comfronts Lilith and figures the next step.

“What on earth are you talking about, human?”

Sharp like a razor blade, Lilith’s voice cuts through the space that separates them and cuts deep within Amity, her strength and willpower to keep up with this conversation flickering like a dying star. Amity swallows hard, fingers trembling.

It’s been a while since Amity has arrived here to the Mayoress office. 

At first she thought that everything would go smoothly. Or as smooth as it can go when your sister’s kid, whom you share a broken and long unattended bond, shows up at your workplace demanding you evacuate a whole city because the sky will break soon. Amity is reasonable, she understands this is something hard to grasp at first; but Luz is her niece, the least Lilith could do is listen to her, especially when she’s clearly upset on this matter. 

Amity hadn’t realized how bad things were between Luz and Lilith until now. When Amity opened the door of her office, Lilith’s eyes widened in surprise not because she was being interrupted, but because it was Luz who had walked through the door. It didn’t last long, but Lilith was still confused when Amity started speaking to her, as if they hadn’t maintained a proper conversation in years.

_ This is why Luz didn’t want me to interact with her _ , Amity understands now. She can’t phantom how it must be like to have lost her loving mother back at the human world and the other motherly figure she had left besides Eda was… like this. Yet still, Luz didn’t complain, didn’t stress about it, didn’t break down. Not even once. She was always so strong, so caring, so kind to everyone around her. Amity wouldn’t have imagined every shadow that haunted her behind that wide smile and those bright brown eyes, not even when she learned about her past through the flow of Luz’s timeline. That was something, but standing here, in Lilith’s office, feeling her turquoise eyes piercing through her flesh, dismissive words falling over her like ice, Amity understands Luz like never before. She closes her hands in fists tight, tighter.

“Like I’ve said,” Amity tries again. For Luz. For King, Gus, Willow and Eda. She tries. “We need to evacuate the village in case the comet –”

“For the love of Titan, please, shut up,” Lilith says, not raising her voice. Still, Amity feels like she has a zipper in her mouth that’s suddenly tightly closed. She bites her lip hard out of frustration until her mouth tastes like blood.

Bonesborough’s mayoress in functions, Lilith Clawthorne, closes her eyes looking excessively tired for a moment, reclining her back on the armchair of the mayor's office. The thick layer of leather on the recliner makes a slight creak. Then the mayoress exhales slowly and looks out the window. The leaves of the trees move slowly, rocked by the pleasant rays of afternoon light.

Amity takes the second to look around. The office doesn’t look like what she thought it would. It’s much brighter and spotless that she had pictured, for some reason. There are several single couches of the same leather material as Lilith’s armchair in the middle of the room, probably for long extended meetings. Next to them, a small table with a few documents on top of it. There’s a shelf with neatly organized books, file cabinets and stand-up awards. Behind the mayoress’ desk, there are two flags, one from Boiling Isles and the other from Bonesborough. Amity keeps looking around but, ultimately, she can’t find one single framed photo of her family. No shocker.

“You’re telling me this comet will split in two and fall into Bonesborough? That more than five hundred people could die?” When Lilith speaks again, tapping the desk with her fingertips, Amity’s blood freezes in her veins. Lilith lets a few seconds pass and then focuses her icy gaze on Amity once more. She feels her hands start to sweat, wipes them on the school skirt she’s still wearing and swallows hard again.

“I know it’s hard to believe,” Amity tries. A sandstorm starts raging behind her mouth, everything feels dry and harsh. “But you need to trust me. The evidence – ”

Lilith furrows her brow, her eyes darkening dangerously.

“You sure have guts, human, showing up at my office and telling me all this bullshit,” she says. Amity digs her nails in the palms of her hands, fighting the angry welt of embarrassment and hurt. “What do you think you’re doing? Playing the hero? I have to laugh!”

“You don’t understand!” Amity says, giving one step forward. Lilith’s eyes are burning, daring, rotten. Amity’s not one to back up from a fight. “People’s lives are at stake here! You  _ have  _ to do something!”

“I see what’s happening here,” Lilith says, leaning forward and placing both her elbows on the desk in front of her. “Spending too much time in that sanctuary with the Owl Lady must have filled your head with nonsense. I fear it would come to this one day.”

“What are you talking about?” Amity shakes her head. Lilith softens her gaze, taking in Luz’s features, looking at her as if she was apologizing somehow.

“If you’re serious about this, then it must mean that you’re sick in the head,” she says, turquoise eyes glowing in the darkening room.

_ Huh? _

“Wh – ” Amity opens her mouth before she even processes what she’s going to say.

What should she say, anyway? Lilith is treating her own niece as a crazy person, as if what she was saying was totally and utterly impossible, she hadn’t even let her finish yet. Amity’s lips are partially parted in surprise; this is absolutely an outcome she hadn’t foreseen while coming to this office. 

_ How can I make this right?  _ The question makes its way in Amity’s mind, echoing grimly inside her head. She was so sure she’d manage to convince Lilith to help them too that she was almost relieved at how easy things were turning out to be. 

They had the whole plan figured out; Gus is on his way to get the explosives, and Willow is also near the high school to use the broadcast room. Amity’s only job was to convince Lilith to listen, and she couldn’t even do that part right. Not that it means that the plan is over, far from it. But things will grow quite more difficult from this moment on since everything they’ll do will be illegal and highly possibly dangerous. 

Every bit of confidence that fueled Amity until just half an hour ago is slowly fading, leaving Amity nothing but doubts. _What if I miscalculated the plan?_ _What if we can’t actually make it?_ She feels her body trembling with fear, scared of not being enough for this mission, of not being able to make a difference, of not saving Luz and having to watch as the sky shatters and the flames consume everything once again, burning her heart with their crimson flames, tearing apart what she’s worked so hard to get back. 

_ No, I can’t think like that. I need to…! _

“I'll have a car sent to you,” Lilith adds, picking up the phone with a tone of voice that perfectly fakes concern. If Amity was anybody else, she might believe Lilith was actually looking after her niece, but she knows better. Amity can see through that veil of perfection and strength that Lilith portrays, she can see the selfishness of a lonely woman. She knows Luz, and she deserves far better than this. Lilith finds Amity’s gaze again. “Go to the hospital and have the doctor examine you. And then, if you still want to talk, I'll listen to what you have to say.”

Her comment hits Amity so hard that she starts to shake. This woman is treating Luz, her own niece, like she’s really mentally ill. Amity’s body feels paralyzed, frozen at the thought of it. She’s never felt like this, like she could shatter but, at the same time, like she could burn the whole place down herself.  _ Burn _ . That’s right, her head feels very hot, as if something was being set aflame in the deepest part of her mind.

That something is pure  _ rage _ .

“You  _ bastard _ !” Amity shouts. “How  _ the fuck _ do you speak to your niece like that!?”

Amity feels every inch of her skin on fire, burning her flesh, her bones, her lungs, collapsing every cell in her body and replacing it with the most visceral expression of rage. Her heart is beating uncontrollably, hammering against the inside of her ribcage so hard it hurts. Everything hurts, her nails are still piercing her skin in the fist that is her left hand. She breathes hard, smoke and lava running down her veins, feeding her core. Her eyes are wide, but she finds Lilith’s eyes opened wider. 

Then, the world stops. 

Her hands shake, shake so hard it’s difficult to keep the tight grasp she had. She looks down.

_ Oh. _

Amity is clutching Lilith by the collar of her shirt. The phone now hangs down on the side of the table, making a small noise that signals that the call is still on hold. The mayoress stares at Amity, horrified, her turquoise irises clouded by disbelief.

“Wh…?” Lilith opens her mouth.

Amity feels her whole body trembling.

She loosens her grip and, little by little, Amity breaks away from her. Lilith, probably due to her surprise or perplexity, still has her lips partly parted, her bottom lip shaking slightly. Amity never thought she’d see that expression coming from her and she’s sure Luz hasn’t seen it, either. Not that she’s proud of what she’s done. Lilith keeps staring at her in silence, Amity matches her cold gaze and maintains it with no fear or hesitation, while she feels ice cold sweat running down her whole body.

“Luz,” Lilith whispers as if she’d breathed all the oxygen she had left, her voice barely heard over the wind outside the window. Amity stares, stares because she can’t move her body one inch, too terrified of the reflection she sees in Lilith’s icy eyes. “No…  _ Who are you? _ ”

_ Who am I? _

Those words reach Amity and echo incessantly inside her head. Over and over. Like a mantra, like a forgotten knowledge, like a woman who’s terrified to find that she can’t recognize her own niece, like the only question that’s left in a world where you’ve lost everything you once had.

Amity feels tears building up behind her eyes and threatens to drown the whole world, a bond that twists and bleeds, an hourglass that’s running out of sand. She feels dizzy, her head spinning, spinning,  _ spinning _ .

_ Who are you? _

* * *

_ Clap, clap. _

The faint sounds of hammering spread through the air from some place Amity can’t point out.

At this time of the day, hovering in between midday and the afternoon, the village is quiet, so quiet the wind carries with it sounds from the furthest places, playing with the leaves of the trees along its course.

_ Clap, clap. _

Amity is walking down the road that leads to the town hall. She’s walking away, slow steps that will take her far, far away from that office, from those piercing icy eyes. 

Dragging her feet across the asphalt, Amity makes her way back. To where, she isn’t quite certain yet. She just needed to feel the air in her cheeks, away from those suffocating office walls. She just –  _ Breath in. Breath out.  _ She’s okay. She’s  _ okay _ . Things would work out, Amity knows this. She just needs to come up with something else while she looks for Gus and Willow. They would help, too. They can do this.  _ They can, right? _

One step before the next step, slowly moving forward. Amity can see Lake Bonesborough at her feet as she makes her way down. The crystal clear surface reflecting the orange rays of the descending sun, ever closer, always bright.

_ Clap, clap. _

The rhythmic sound continues. Amity pictures someone hammering nails into the solid bark of a tree to the rhythm of the hammering. Iron nails inserted into dark, narrow holes, which will eventually rust with time. _ These must be the preparations for the autumn festival _ , Amity vaguely remembers as she looks at the wooden lanterns placed along the road.

On her back, Amity hears the voices of some kids. She turns her head toward them. They're a little higher up the hill than Amity is, they’re carrying the typical red school bags and waving goodbye to each other. Silly, absent-minded smiles dancing on their tiny lips. Their eyes are bright and excited, they can barely contain it.

“Bye-bye!” One little girl says, waving her little hand. “See you two at the festival!”

“Meet us in front of the stairs down the sanctuary!” The young boy replies, watching as their friend is already making her way home. “Don’t be late!”

After deciding on the meeting point, the boy and the other girl separate and start running down the hill towards Amity, probably also on their way back home. By the looks of it, Amity would swear they're in some sort of elementary school class.

Wait.

_ The collision point is the sanctuary. _

“Don’t go!” Without thinking, Amity grabs the kid that was rushing down. Amity feels her fingers sink in his shoulder, she grits her teeth. She can’t let them die, she can’t. “You have to run away from the village! Tell your friends!”

Amity feels tears building up behind her eyes again and she tries her best to fight them. She can’t cry. She can’t break down. There’s just so much she has to do.

The kid’s face grows into a panicked expression.

“Leave me alone!” He yells as he breaks free from Amity’s grip with sudden force.

Amity steps back, hands shaking.

_ What am I even doing? _

“Luz!”

Amity turns to the point where the voice comes from. She finds King running toward her, a concerned expression on his face. Behind him, the two children are running as if they were escaping from the devil himself. 

Amity watches them go further and further away, feeling a knot in her stomach become tighter. _ I can’t do this. Everyone will think I’m crazy. They won’t listen to me. They’ll die. They’ll die. _ Her breaths grow shorter, sharper, panting like there’s not enough oxygen in the world and Amity’s needs oxygen, she needs it because she’s drowning and she can’t breathe, she can’t breathe, she can’t –

“What happened? What did you say to those kids?” Amity feels King’s hands around her legs; his touch soft, calming. She focuses on that, on King’s presence, on breathing in and out. The sun is still setting, which means they still have time, but Amity feels as if all her energy had run out. She’s an empty shell, a cloth puppet. King still expects an answer, but his voice is nothing but soothing. “Are you okay, Luz?”

Amity tries to fight back the tears, she really does.

_ What am I supposed to do now…? _

King focuses his pink eyes on Amity, waiting for her answer.

_ What would Luz do if she were here…? _

Amity shuts her eyelids tightly. Breathing slow, breathing in.

“I wonder… If Luz would have convinced them,” Amity mumbles, her voice a mere whisper barely louder than the faint noises of the festival. She tries her best to not sound broken. “Maybe I’m not enough,” she shakes her head, biting her bottom lip. Amity finds King’s eyes, frozen in place as he stares at Amity not understanding a word, concern written all over his face. Amity tries again, one last time, tears resting on the corners of her eyes. “King, please, listen to me. You have to get Eda and you out of the village before sundown.”

“What?” King’s eyes grow wider. He almost steps back, not letting go of Amity’s touch just yet. He shakes his head, brow knitted in worry. “Why?”

“You need to promise me that you will,” Amity insists, raising her hands and grabbing him by the tiny shoulders. The ache inside her chest grows, bleeds,  _ hurts _ . “If you stay here, you’ll die!”

“What are you talking about!?” King finally steps back, staring at Amity as if he didn’t recognize her. Amity watches as King’s eyes grow watery, not even attempting to hide his fear. She feels bad, horribly bad that she’s driven Luz’s sweet demon friend to look at her like this, like she’s paranoid. “Luz, stop it! You’re scaring me! You’re acting so weird. Yesterday you went to Hexside City all of a sudden and today,  _ this _ ? Luz, what's wrong with you lately?!”

_ Huh? _

A strange feeling, like something doesn’t fit, takes hold of Amity. Like there’s something missing, something that she doesn’t know, that she can’t grasp. She frowns.

_ To Hexside City? _

“King,” Amity opens her mouth, her head spinning. “Did you say that I went to Hexside City yesterday?”

“Hey, Luz!”

Willow’s voice. 

Amity raises her head and she finds Gus riding his bike down this asphalt road, closing the distance between them dangerously fast. On the back seat of the bicycle, Willow waves her hand at Amity with a big, bright smile. Behind her, her blue hair swings as the wind rocks it gently. Gus makes noisy braking on the pavement.

“How did it go with Lilith?” Gus asks, leaning back on the handlebars, brown irises shimmering and hoping.

Amity’s guts twist at the memory. She opens her mouth but nothing comes out. What could she tell them, anyway? That Luz’s own aunt almost puts her in a psych ward? Her stomach is revolted. 

Gus is looking at her, Willow is looking at her, and King is looking at her, all three expecting answers that she can’t give them, she has nothing. She doesn’t even know what she should think, what she should do to keep going. Eda didn’t listen, those kids didn’t listen, Lilith didn’t listen. Lilith even ended their conversation asking her _ ‘who are you?’ _ to her own niece.  _ I forced her to ask that,  _ Amity thinks to herself. _ Is it me? Am I the problem? Am I the reason this isn’t working? _

Amity looks at the sky. The comet’s tail can be seen hovering over the blue vault, slowly getting closer. At the same time, the sun is steadily going down. The orange rays spread through the mountains, everything looks golden. There are still a couple of hours before sunset, which means there’s still time before the comet collides.

_ Where are you, Luz? _

Amity wants nothing more than to be able to do this, to keep going with the plan and save them all, but something isn’t right. She looks down at her hands, where the half-moon silhouettes of her nails still decorate her skin there. She should apologize to Luz for that when she sees her. She can’t give up yet.

King said Luz went to Hexside City yesterday, but why? What day was supposed to be yesterday? Amity can’t possibly know. She also has no memory of Luz being in Hexside City, they have never met before. Then, why... Why does she feel this heaviness in her chest?

“Luz? Can you hear me?” Amity hears Gus calling her, then she remembers she never got to answer his question about Lilith. But that doesn’t matter now, Amity’s head is spiraling from one thought to another, connecting the dots. Gus turns to King, who shrugs his shoulders. “What’s up with her?”

Amity’s attention is still placed on her hands, as if they held something important, some answer she can’t get to yet. Her hands. Luz’s hands.

_ Luz… _

_ Where are you now, Luz? _

_ And… _

_ Where am I right now? _

Amity’s eyes widen, hazel irises flashing like the last rays of sunshine.

_ What if…! _

Amity looks up. Beyond where King, Willow and Gus are standing. Beyond this endless asphalt road. Beyond the houses, the lake and the surrounding forest, there’s the outline of the mountains; and even further, the crest of one specific mountain, veiled by a bluish mist. The mountain Amity had climbed. In her own timeline, in her own body, soaking wet by the freezing rain, with the sole company of an old map and foggy memories, Amity had climbed up that mountain to the very top, to a sanctuary with two vessels and the drawing of a comet in the stone ceiling.

Light and cold wind blows from the lake, rocking Luz's brown hair. Her locks gently brush against Amity's cheeks. Feather-like touches, as if someone was caressing her skin with their soft fingers.

“Are you… there?” Amity whispers, her poorly-contained yearning finally spilling out of her.

“Huh? What?” Gus tilts his head.

“Is there something over there?” Willow follows the direction of Amity’s gaze, puzzled.

_ Luz, if you’re really there…! _

“Let me borrow your bike, Gus!” Amity snaps, asking him as she grabs the handlebars to take it away from him. She jumps on top of the saddle and kicks the ground to get a boost.

“Hey! Luz, wait a second!” Gus steps back and raises his hands, questioning.

The saddle is quite high, so Amity pedals without leaning on it and starts to climb up the hill. Amity breaths heavily as she moves forward as fast as she can, her breath burning like a fire leaving her lips.

“Luz!” She hears him yell at her from a distance. His voice sounds on the verge of despair, Amity hardly blames him. “What about our plan!?”

“The plan’s still on!” Amity yells back, her throat feels dryer than it’s ever been but she still forces the words out. “Be ready when I get back!”

Amity’s words echo strongly across the valley, among the silent village. Luz’s voice, split from her body, sounds again and again through the nearby mountains and over the lake, filling the air for an instant.

And as if Amity was following that voice, she pedals as fast as her body can manage.

“Luz,” Amity whispers again, and in the dim lighting of the valley with the echo of Luz’s voice still sounding softly, she swears she’s closer to Luz than she’s ever been.

“Please, wait for me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo here we go! We're getting close to the much awaited reunion!  
> Next chapter on wednesday: Luz's POV makes a comeback! Where has she been?


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luz wakes up in Amity's body, Amity recovers some lost memories and she arrives at the top of the mountain, where Luz is.

_ Tap.  _

_ Tap, tap.  _

Someone’s slightly tapping Luz’s cheek. 

Easily, probably just with the middle finger, very softly so it doesn’t hurt. The tip of the finger feels so cold, frozen even – as if it’d been holding a piece of ice not long ago. 

_ I wonder who would ever want to wake me up like this.  _

Luz opens her eyes. 

_ Huh?  _

Everything around her is dark.  _ Is it still night?  _

The tapping on her cheek continues. No, those aren’t fingers tapping. It’s water. Drops of water fall onto Luz’s cheek for quite some time now. She gets up and, finally, she realizes. 

“I’m Amity!” She whispers out loud.

There’s no denying it. The green hair, the pointy ears, the orange hair tie that holds her hair up in a high ponytail. She’s Amity, but why?

_ Where are we, anyways? _

She looks around and recognizes the sanctuary she visited with King and Eda some weeks before, though now it looks colder and abandoned, for some reason. Luz climbs up the crumbling stone stairs and she’s struck by the sunset’s lights. 

Luz feels as if she’d spent an eternity hidden in the darkness. The contrast of suddenly being in the light burns, and Luz’s eyes blur with tears. When she climbs the stairs, she notices that she’s, right as she thought, on the top of the mountain where the sacred repository is. 

_ What is Amity doing in this place?  _

Not understanding what’s going on, Luz steps outside, under the colossal tree, and starts walking towards the valley. Amity’s wearing a warm jacket with a hoodie, the kind of clothing that you wear to hike, and a pair of hiking shoes with fairly thick rubber soles. 

The ground is wet and mushy. It probably has been raining until not so long ago, Luz thinks looking at the countless drops of water that lay on the leaves of grass around her. Still, when she looks to the sky above, she finds it clear as a mirror. Scattered by the storm, now the finest clouds glow with golden hues as the wind blows them away. 

_ What about me? _ Luz thinks.  _ If Amity is here, where am I? _

The dense fog in her mind refuses to let her remember. She keeps on walking until she reaches the base of the hill at the end of the valley, still unable to recall anything, and she looks up. 

The valley has a cauldron-like shape, and if she climbs up the hill, she’d reach the very top of the mountain. She starts climbing up, her legs feeling heavy. As she goes, she tries to find a single trace of memory, anything to find out what she was doing before she got here.

Then, a couple of seconds after, her fingers grasp a piece of memory. 

The music from the festival. A beautiful suit-dress. Her face, tears pooling in the corner of her big brown eyes as she looks at herself in the mirror. 

_ Oh.  _

_ That’s right.  _

The day before had been the autumn festival. Gus and Willow invited her to hang out and take a look around, and Luz wore a pretty purple suit-dress. It was the day when the comet would be shining brilliantly right above their heads, so they convinced Luz to go outside and witness it all the three of them. Luz remembers now. 

Though, for some reason, she feels as if that was something that happened a long time ago. 

_ That can’t be. It was yesterday, I’m sure of it.  _

She’d found Gus and Willow waiting for her right at the entrance of the festival. They finished climbing a narrow one-way path and, as they turned the corner of the street, they came across the view of a titanic comet floating in the night sky. It’s tail, an emerald green colour, spread brightly across the sky. The core shone brighter than the moon itself. And when you looked a little closer, you could see little shiny particles, like tiny specks of dust, dancing around it. The three of them forgot to speak for a while, staring spellbound at the spectacle. 

At some point, Luz realized the core of the comet was splitting in two. Almost as if one of the two colossal and brilliant cores approached them at great speed. Soon after, a few thin shooting stars started flashing around it. It looked like a meteor shower, like it was raining stars. But actually, it didn’t just look like it – that night the stars truly fell from the sky. 

That starry sky couldn't be as beautiful as it was. It seemed like something out of a dream. 

* * *

At last, Luz arrives at the top of the hill. The cold wind crushes against her and embraces her with strength. At her feet, the clouds spread everywhere like a shiny carpet. And further down, stained more and more by the dark blue tones of the sunset, is Lake Bonesborough. 

_ Huh? _ Luz thinks. _ That’s weird.  _

As she’s climbed the rocky hillside, she’s noticed something’s off. The tips of her fingers are shaking lightly, her feet feel cold and her steps are messy, shivers run down her back like electricity, her eyes dart everywhere around her, arms secured hugging herself, fingers sinking deep into her forearms. Her whole body is shuddering, like she’s been stuck inside a block of solid ice for hours, for days, years.

She doesn’t remember when exactly she’s started feeling like this, but she knows this feeling. The hair bristling at the back of her head, the drops of sweat down her back, the trembling of her fingers – she’s  _ terrified _ . 

Luz feels so scared, worried, upset, and helpless that she’s got the feeling that her head is about to explode. Cold sweat runs down her whole body without stopping, as if someone had taken off the cap that was keeping it in line. 

_ It can’t be…  _

Maybe she’s going crazy. The exchanging of bodies, the comet bracing the night sky, the colored braids at the sanctuary, and the bonds that intertwine and break the fate of those around her. Maybe, without her noticing, something inside of her had broken.

She’s scared. Really, really scared. She wants to scream, but the only thing that manages to come out of her throat is a breath of sticky air past her chapped lips. As if they had free will, Luz’s eyelids start to tense up. Her eyeballs, dry, are pinned to the sight of the lake without even blinking. That’s how she finds out. That’s how Luz, finally, realizes. 

“The town… is gone.”

Her words leave her lips before she can process the heavy meaning they carry. It’s just a statement. A fact. The town of Bonesborough is gone. The town is gone. Her home is gone.

Above her, the sun shines bright like an orb of fire absorbing every dark thought, the rays travel to the surface of lake Bonesborough and reflect the blue of the sky, spotless and serene after the storm. The mountains beyond look like a photograph out of Amity’s gallery, perfectly white and round clouds hover above them in a heavenly scenery. The air feels heavy in Luz’s lungs, a scene she wasn’t supposed to see. It’s like she’s on top of the world, nothing feels real. The sky, the mountains, the lake below, or the ground down her feet. There’s nothing tying her to the real world, she must still be dreaming.

_ Where’s the town? Where’s my home? Where’s everyone? _

She blinks once, twice, focusing her eyes the best she can, still feeling shivers in every inch of her skin, a terrible reminder that this might not be a dream, that she might be witnessing a reality she wasn’t supposed to ever see with her own eyes. A lake with a round shape, much bigger than Lake Bonesborough, covers where the town was supposed to be. Bright and serene, the water covers where once the houses stood, the pavement that she’s walked over a thousand times, the traffic lights she’s impatiently waited for, the green grass she’s felt between her toes, the playground she used to take King to play, the road to the sanctuary and the porch of Eda’s house. It’s all gone. There’s only the calm surface of the water, like there wasn’t anything there in the first place, like it never existed or was relevant enough to not be forgotten in time.

There’s nothing left of her life there.

It’s all gone.

Her home, erased in the shape of a comet.

_ Of course _ , says a cruel voice inside of Luz, breaking through her brain bitterly and sarcastic, like deep down it’s obvious and she should’ve known better than hoping it was all a dream.

After that thing fell.

After that colossal rock, so big and burning, fell upon them.

_ That’s right…  _

An eye of fire consuming the oxygen around her world, crackling like a star shattering the corners of her home and swallowing every good thing in between, shining in her eyes as the world around her withered, and decayed, and engulfed in her ears were the screams of every last person she’s ever loved.

_ At that moment, I…  _

* * *

Luz doesn’t register falling to the ground. Suddenly her knees give in and her legs meet the hard and cold embrace of the rocks beneath her, but she’s too weak to care about bruises and pain, not when her chest is clogged and she can’t breath, when all her eyes see is the void of where her home used to be, the vision of the comet falling on her and the painful nothing that came after, the cold and the absence of all that used to be hers. She’s fallen like a puppet whose strings have just been cut, too numb to remember to breathe or close her eyes.

_ At that moment, I…  _

The air breathes out of her lungs and lips, becomes a shaky voice. Like it isn’t hers, it sounds distant and broken. Like someone else at some other time said those words. But she’s powerless, alone and terrified at the top of the world, where she has nothing left, not even her own life, because… 

“In that moment… I…” 

And, suddenly, all of Amity’s memories hit her like a raging cold waterfall. Amity, Amity,  _ Amity _ . The disaster of the comet that destroyed the village of Bonesborough, the dozen books she read about her with her heart broken. Amity, a girl who actually lives three years in the future, in Hexside City. A girl she never knew, but that brought light and a fresh breath of air in her life, that settled between the cracks of her heart and made her full of something new, something Luz never wanted to let go of. At that time when Amity lives, three years in the future, Luz didn't exist anymore. Because… 

The night the stars fell. 

_ At that moment, I…  _

“…died?” 

* * *

Where do memories reside? 

In the brain's synaptic connection patterns? Do eyeballs or fingertips also have the ability to remember? Or is there perhaps somewhere a kind of spiritual body, incorporeal and invisible as mist, that hosts them? Something like what people call heart, spirit, or soul. Like a memory card stuck in the operating system. And what would happen if we removed it? 

Amity is tired.

So very tired, every joint and muscle is twisting and screaming for her to stop. But instead, Amity pushes past her ache and goes fast, faster.

The paved road ended a while ago, so now Amity’s pedalling with Gus’s bike non-stop through an unpaved mountain path. From the corner of her eye, she manages to see the flashes of sunlight, already quite dim as the sun is almost starting to set, as it passes through the countless leaves of the trees.

Amity, in Luz’s body, keeps on sweating, tufts of her bangs sticking to her forehead like glue. As she pedals, she brushes them aside and wipes her sweat; sweat that’s running down her back and her clothes sticking to her hot skin too. Her hands grab the handlebar of the bike with an iron grip, her knuckles turning white at the tips and her fingertips are red and burning.

In other circumstances, she would be grossed out and would’ve hated to be in that position, but right now Amity is nothing like the girl who lived in Hexside City and complained when Luz ordered too many pancakes or cracked a terrible joke. Right now Amity has only one thought on her mind, only one purpose, only one smile she definitely has to see again. For the first time, for the last time. She needs to reach her. Reach Luz.

_ Right now, Luz’s soul must be inside of my body _ , Amity thinks.  _ Because right now my heart is here, in Luz’s body _ .

There’s something she’s been thinking for a while, now.

_ Still, even now, despite the three years that separated us, despite the bridge of distance and time, the comet and every second it’s taken me to get here, despite the thread of time and her lost in between the bond that connects us and the future that could’ve been, we’re here now and, somehow, we’re still together.  _

_ Luz, or at least a part of her soul, is here with me. _ Amity knows this because Luz’s fingers have memorized the shape and textures of her uniform. When Amity wears it, everything feels familiar – from the length of the zipper to the stiff neck of the shirt. When Amity runs into one of Luz’s friends, her gaze radiates relief, joy. Amity doesn’t need to ask her; she knows who Luz gets along with and who she doesn't like. When Amity looks at Eda, some vague memories that she shouldn't even have floated around in her mind, like pictures from a projector with a broken bulb. It’s hard to grasp, but Luz’s body, her memories, her feelings, they form an unbreakable bond. 

_ Amity…  _

For a while now, Amity’s been hearing Luz’s voice from inside of her. 

_ Amity… Amity.  _

A voice on the verge of crying, vivid. A voice that blinks like a distant star, broken with sadness. 

Blurred images begin to take shape in her head, like a movie she saw ages ago but a familiar scene makes the whole thing make sense again. 

“Amity,” Luz’s calling her inside her mind, in her memory, in the past. “You don’t… remember me?” 

Finally, as Amity pedals and her muscles burn with anticipation of reaching the top of the mountain, of reaching Luz, Luz’s memories of that day come to Amity’s mind. 

* * *

That day, Luz skipped school and hopped on a train. Her destination: a large terminal station that connected with the bullet train lines to Hexside City. The local train that took her there is empty, there’s no one around her but the sound of the morning wind whirling on her ears, despite it being the time students go to school. That’s because there is no school along that train line, and people from the area go to work by car.

The train is silent inside, there’s only one young woman scrolling through her phone with a bored expression and her legs crossed over the seat, and a man dressed for a business meeting who constantly checks on his watch, he’s probably running late. And Luz sits next to the window, her elbow pressed against the cold glass as the city passes through her eyes like a movie and the trees line up to one blurred shade of green.

“I’m going to Hexside City.” 

Luz leaves the house first thing in the morning and, suddenly, halfway from the school, Luz tells King about her plans. Her voice sounds spontaneous, shy, and inconsistent like a flickering star, so unlike her usually bubbly and decisive personality. She’s not sure of this plan, but it’s all she’s got.

“Huh? Now? Why!?” King asks her, taken aback, as he moves his tiny paws in the air demanding an answer that makes sense. That’s something Luz can’t give to him. 

“Cause I have…” Luz hesitates, scratching the hair on the back of her head, ignoring the faint warmth that’s settled on her cheeks. “A date…?” 

King opens his tiny pink eyes so wide it’s almost comical. “Huh!? Luz, do you have a boyfriend in Hexside City!?” 

He’s been reading too many of Luz’s books, but she can’t really blame him. She needs to ditch him and run off to the station as soon as possible, before the rush of adrenaline wears off and she’s no longer brave enough to follow a hunch anymore. But she needs to make sure King tells Eda the right thing, that they won’t go back for her. She needs to do this alone, because there’s something that Luz wants to see desperately on the other side of the Demon Realm.

“No, I mean… Technically, it’s not my date…” 

Unable to give a meaningful explanation, Luz starts sets of running. As she runs, she says:

“I’ll be back before the sun goes down, don’t worry!” 

* * *

Luz starts to think while, through the window of the bullet train, she watches the landscape go by at full speed. 

_ What exactly am I trying to achieve, really? What’s the point of going to Amity and Boscha’s date? It would obviously be very awkward for the three of us to spend the time together! Plus, it’s the first time I’m visiting Hexside City, I don’t even know if I’ll be able to find her… _

_ And if I do, then what? Will Amity get mad at me because I didn’t tell her in advance that I was coming? She probably will, she doesn’t like surprises. Will she be upset to see me? Oh Titan, I don’t want her to use her magic on me! Maybe she’ll be surprised? What if she doesn’t want to meet me? Why does this make my stomach feel heavy? My hands are all sweaty. Why am I even doing this!? _

In a rather anticlimactic way, the bullet train slides smoothly and fluently into the Hexside City station and it’s shiny and endless bright buildings, completely oblivious to Luz’s concerns. There are so many people around her that she almost feels she can’t breathe. It’s the first time she’s ever been in Hexside in her own body. She’s feeling fuzzy inside, like falling from a high altitude, excited but terrified that no one’s there to catch her. Then, she tries to call Amity. She finds her contact on her phone and presses the green button with hope bubbling in her chest.

"The number you have dialled is not available at this time. Please try again..." 

Luz hangs up. As expected, this didn’t work. She doesn’t even know why she tried, but a part of her would be so much calmer if she could tell Amity she was there for her, to see her.

_ I’ll never find her _ , Luz thinks, and her throat feels tight.

But she can’t give up. Not like this.

Luz goes to the station's information panel and, as if it were an important part of an exam, she studies it carefully. Maybe memorizing the lines and the map of Hexside can be helpful to find Amity in less time. Finally, based on the vague memories she can recall, because her memories of being here in Amity’s body feel like a hazy dream, Luz leaves for the city. 

_ But… If I get to find her…  _

She hops on a train line, then a local bus, she walks, gets on a train again, and walks again. 

_ I don’t know what I’m doing,  _ Luz thinks. _ I’m sure I’ll just be bothering her. Will I make her feel uncomfortable? Or maybe…  _

There’s the headline "Comet Tiamat: In its perigee tomorrow" on one of those big screens in the street with flashy colors and extremely high resolution.

_ Or maybe, if I find her… Perhaps, even just a little bit…  _

Hours later, tired of walking around all day, Luz stops on a footbridge and, clasping her hands as if making a wish, looks at the buildings that glow in the distance. 

_ Just maybe, if we see each other… _

_ Maybe Amity will be happy to see me.  _

Luz starts walking again, lost in her thoughts of how Amity will be like when she sees her, the face she’ll make. Her golden eyes will grow wide and she’ll frown a little bit at first. She’ll open her mouth and instantly close it when she recognizes Luz. And then Luz plans on launching herself onto her and wrapping her in a crushing hug, whether Amity wants it or not. She can’t wait to be with her, feel her close to her own body, listen to her voice with her own ears and finally see her, tell her everything she’s never got the chance to.

_ If I keep on going randomly from one place to another like this, I’ll never find her. But still, there’s one thing I’m sure of: if Amity and I meet, we’ll know in a heartbeat. After all, you’re the one who’s been inside of me. And that I was inside of you.  _

Luz’s absolutely certain about that, the bond that connects them will guide them together. She just has to keep walking, keep searching, keep hoping!

* * *

The evening sun is setting, it’s rays of light slip through the gaps of the station platform’s roof like flashlights. 

Luz’s sitting on one of the benches of the station, one foot out of her shoe, sore from walking. The light of the sunset, much dimmer and more diffuse than it would be in Bonesborough, vaguely reflects on her brown gaze. A melodic ringing sounds through the loudspeakers and, after it finishes, a mechanical voice starts to announce: "The train will soon be entering from platform four in a northerly direction. This train stops at all stations..." Just then, a yellow train slides down the platform. When it arrives, some wind blows and it rocks her brown hair. Luz looks through the window of the wagons, her mind tired and hazy, defeated.

And, suddenly, she’s gasping. 

Like a spring, she stands up. 

Right now, on the other side of the window that just passed in front of Luz, there's her.

_ Amity.  _

Luz starts running. The train stops completely and Luz doesn’t take long to reach the door, her heart hammering against her chest like it’s running out of time, like knowing this is what she’s been waiting for the whole day, like it was worth it. Still, at this hour in the evening, the train is full; from outside she can’t find Amity’s silhouette. Then, all the doors open with a deafening sound, like a giant that’s just exhaled a mouthful of air.

Luz’s trembling before the crowd of people starts to gush out of the train. She steels herself and pushes her way inside the wagon, among the people, as she whispers “I’m sorry”. The doors close with a new release of air from the imaginary giant. The train sets off. As she repeats "excuse me, sorry, pardon me..." endlessly, Luz feels her surroundings suddenly growing silent. 

In front of her, finally, there’s Amity. Or rather, Amity from three years ago.

Amity, Amity,  _ Amity _ !

Her Amity!

She’s found her!

* * *

_ I can’t keep climbing up the mountain by bike.  _

Just as this thought pops up, the front wheel hits the root of a tree and slips, out of control. 

Amity immediately grabs a nearby log and holds onto it, her hands burning and hurting. The bike falls away from her, and then it dashes downhill until it slams into the ground, about three meters away, with a loud crash. Amity’s suddenly so glad her reflexes are still as sharp as they were when she played Grudgby, she wouldn’t have liked to be smashed to the ground and broken her bones now that she's so close to finding Luz. The wheels of the bike are completely crushed, though. The handlebar is twisted into an unnatural position and the seat has flown from its original position on the bike to some meters off into the woods.

"I'm sorry, Gus," she mumbles. With no more hesitation, cause she can’t waste any second, she rushes across the narrow path in the mountains. Her feet hurt as she runs with Luz’s school shoes through the rocky ground, the bruises on her legs and arms hurt and Amity thinks they’re bleeding, but she doesn’t dare to look; her chest rising and falling as ragged pants leave her lips and sweat covers every inch of her skin. There’s never enough oxygen, but she can’t stop running fast,  _ faster  _ across the forest, up the mountain.

_ Why did I forget? _ Amity asks herself.  _ Why couldn’t I remember until now?  _

As she runs, she gazes closely at the memories that pour out from within her.

_ Luz, three years ago, before I even knew you… that day, you…  _

* * *

_ Amity… Amity. Amity!  _

Luz’s been repeating Amity’s name in her mind for a while now.

Meanwhile Amity, despite being in front of her, still hasn’t noticed Luz being there.  _ She’s beautiful _ , Luz thinks.

Her hair, with roots starting to grow brown, frames a round and delicate face with clear skin. Waves of aquamarine hair fall gracefully down her shoulders slightly longer than the Amity Luz remembers. The shape of her eyebrows, thin and dark, her slight softness; and her eyes, big and sharp, golden as the newly melted gold, the aura of mystery that Luz has learned to care for. Her irises sparkle with the light that slips through the window of the train as she reads a book she’s holding with one hand, the other holding tight to the train’s bars.  _ The lone witch and the secret room. _

Luz doesn’t know how to grasp Amity’s attention, or what face she should make. Barely on the verge of crying, Luz keeps running around her head trying to know what to do, her expression serious. Finally, she makes up her mind and, with a slightly forced smile, she calls for her. 

“Amity.” 

Amity, three years younger than she is now, raises her head, obviously surprised that someone called her name in a train packed with strange faces. They’re about the same height. In front of Amity, two teary, brown eyes study her closely.

“Hm?” Amity’s mouth is slightly opened.

“It’s me,” Luz says, trying to keep her smile while she points at herself. She watches Amity for a moment, conflict spreads out across her face, and tries her best to not look away, her eyes trained low. She fiddles with a loose thread on her uniform, nervous and uncertain.

“Huh?” Amity simply stares, and somehow, that’s not what Luz expects to hear  _ at all _ .

“You don’t… remember about me?” Luz asks her, face dropping slightly as she finds her golden eyes. 

Luz knows they haven’t met each other before and they aren’t extremely close yet, but she hadn’t thought about the possibility that Amity wouldn’t recognise her when they finally meet in person, hadn’t even crossed her mind. She thinks back to all the teasing they’ve done to each other through their phones and the changes they’ve made in their lives, the hating and laughing, her heart fluttering in her chest in a way she’s never felt before, wonders if this is what it was supposed to be when she first saw Amity.

“Who are you?” Amity says, not picking up the pieces. The question hangs heavy in the air.

Luz’s stomach drops horribly, to the point of making her nauseous; it’s even worse than the worst-case scenario she had pictured on the way to Hexside City, the words coming out of Amity’s mouth worse than anything Luz could’ve thought of. It’s been so quick, it hasn’t even started and it’s already over, and Luz’s left stranded in a place she doesn’t belong to with no one to catch her as she falls because Amity doesn’t recognize her. But even that’s wrong. They’ve been friends for a long time now, embraced every dark and bitter thing of the other, discovered every small thing that makes the other smile; but luck has never been on their side and things have always been difficult for them. Of course Luz would find her in this endless city. Of course Amity wouldn’t recognize her. Of course it hurts.

“Oh… Never mind, I’m sorry…” Luz says with a sad smile. She breaths in and flushes red, looking away and retreating into herself.

The train sways suddenly. Everyone keeps their balance except Luz, who is too hurt and disoriented to care about things like gravity, so she stumbles and bumps into Amity. Her brown hair tickles Amity’s nose, she smells the slight and pleasant scent of shampoo.

“I’m sorry,” Luz mumbles again, whispering.

_ What a weird girl _ , Amity from three years ago thinks. 

Meanwhile, Luz tries her best to manage her chaotic thoughts.

_ But… She’s Amity! Amity Blight! My Amity! Why doesn’t she know who I am…!?  _

There’s an awkward silence between them that doesn’t fill the holes in Luz’s chest.

“Door opening in the next station. Please, mind the gap.” Luz can hear over the loudspeaker. She looks somehow relieved, but at the same time, extremely sad. Still, she couldn’t stay there one more second. 

The doors are opening and some people get off the train. Luz follows them. As Amity watches the back of the girl who’s further and further away, a thought flashes through her head. 

_ What if I’m supposed to know this girl?  _

Something takes a hold of Amity, something strong that pushes the air out of her lungs as the girl in front of her keeps walking further away from her reach. She stares, and stares, and stares, and then--

She yells “Hey!” to catch her attention. 

“What’s your name…?” 

Luz turns around, but her silhouette blurs further away every passing second, pushed by the crowd getting off the train. 

She suddenly unties the orange braided string that was wrapped around her wrist, turns to Amity and hands it to her, shouting--

“Luz!”

Automatically, Amity extends her arm. Trying to get to her, to hold on to something. To the mysterious girl, who is struggling to reach her. To the feeling that bursts in her chest that doesn’t have a name. To the ribbon she’s extending – vivid orange, like the sunset rays that filter through her window every evening; the last light of the day, warm and comforting. As the crowd pushes her, and as Luz distances herself more and more, Amity grasps that colour tightly.

“My name… is Luz!” 

* * *

_ Luz…! _

_ Three years ago, you came to see me! _

Finally, Amity knows what happened back then. 

She had completely forgotten about that one time a girl she didn’t know spoke to her on the train. Luz steeled herself that day and came to see Amity, came to Hexside City and later on returned to her village, deeply hurt.

Amity’s heart throbs painfully in her chest. But there’s nothing she can do about that now, so she keeps on running endlessly.

Amity’s face – actually, Luz’s – as well as her body are covered by sweat and mud. Every joint and muscle aches as she takes more and more steps further, running like she’s running out of time, with barely enough air on her lungs to keep pushing forward. Her legs work as fast as she can make them, her breath catches in her throat; the pressure on every part of her makes her feel like she might choke any minute now. But she needs to keep going.

Ever so slowly, the lushness of the trees grows thinner until Amity can see the layer of golden clouds at her feet.

Her limbs protest for the extreme amount of effort she’s pushing them to keep up, arms and legs cutting through the branches and leaves around her achingly - desperately. Amity doesn’t even stop to check on her wounds, that’d be seconds lost and she still needs to make it to the top. There’s a desperation to her actions, her lungs set aflame.

All around her now there is nothing but rocks covered with moss.

At last, she’s reached the top. 

The top.

She’s made it.

Luz is here, Luz is here! 

_ I need to find her! _

Amity’s sure she slips into shock; she’s been repressing every lingering emotion for weeks now, ever since she realized she wouldn’t switch bodies with Luz anymore and she made a promise to be strong for her, to do whatever it takes to find her; and just the thought of finally,  _ finally  _ being with Luz is enough to send it all rushing, pounding, screaming towards the surface.

Amity breaths in the cold evening air and, as if she was releasing all her flooded memories, she screams at the top of her burning lungs--

“Luuuz!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg i can't believe we're this far in the story already!!!!  
> This chapter was all build-up, but next chapter this saturday: LUMITY REUNION. FINALLY, I promise!!


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> omg i can't believe we're here already, but... Lumity reunion!!  
> I tried my best to convey all the feelings and emotions in this one, so sit back and enjoy :)

_A voice!_

She’s heard a voice!

Luz snaps her eyelids open, tilts her head up from her position curled up on the floor, her face no longer hidden between her knees for protection.

_That was a voice, right? That’s not my imagination?_

She stands up, surprised to find her legs even working at all, and looks around, taking the devastating scenery in once again.

She's on the high rocky ground that surrounds the top of the mountain. At her back, the hill goes down vertiginously and she can see the sacred repository in the centre of the valley miles away, tiny as an olive. The sunset casts long shadows around her. It’s like the world had been torn in two opposite shades of light and shadow. Still, there’s no one there. 

_Could it really be…?_

“Amity…?” Luz says, the familiar word leaves her dry lips in a shaky whisper; her heart pounds against her chest like something trapped and bursting. She takes in a breath of cold air and screams again, lungs aching. “Amity!”

* * *

Amity’s heard her. 

She’s here!

_Luz’s here!_

Amity starts running immediately. She climbs up the hill and starts running on the high rocky ground that surrounds the top of the mountain, unable to breathe, speak, scream her name again. She wants Luz’s arms around her, wants her warmth to thaw all the frozen cracks on her chest, wants her to feel safe and whole and real again.

_Since I met you that day, you turned my night dream into a bright life._

She makes a full 360-degree turn, seeing no one.

_I’m not giving up on you just yet!_

But she knows Luz’s here. She feels it. And screams--

“Luz! You’re here, right? In my body!” 

* * *

_It’s Amity!_

She’s convinced. She can’t see her, but Luz feels her close, _closer_.

_I can’t wait any longer._

“Amity! Where are you!” She answers as loud as she can, her thoughts jumbled but desperately trying to find their way out of her mouth. “I hear you, but I can’t see you!”

_I’m finding you today, now!_

Luz starts running on the rocky ground of the hill, the silence around her overwhelming.

* * *

_That’s her voice!_

Amity can hear Luz’s voice, her heart pounds, skips, hurts at the sound of her name; but there’s nothing else. At the top of the mountain, where the rest of the world lays beneath her feet covered in hazy clouds, only herself stands.

_Just a bit more, before destiny pulls you away once again._

She doesn’t know if these voices, both Luz’s and hers, vibrate in the air physically, or if they can only be heard with the soul. The tips of her fingers tingle, her bones shivering underneath her skin, her heart impatient and anxious. Amity closes her eyes, breathes steadily, and when she snaps her golden eyes open again, she runs towards Luz’s voice like a lifeline.

_Just a bit more, before the rest of the world finds we’re missing._

After all, even if they’re in the same place, they’re three years away from each other. Time wraps and unwinds around them granting them this moment in time; together at the end of their separate paths, which pours into the beginning of their story.

_Just a bit more, before our shared dreams come to an end._

“Luz, where are you!?”

Her mouth tastes like salt and ambition, and there’s the flash of a dream, Luz standing underneath the starry sky with a smile, the comet above a violent shade of ice and fire. She needs to find her _now_. Rewrite history.

_Just a bit more!_

Amity keeps calling for her. She can’t sit down and wait when Luz’s so painfully close. She starts running again on the rocky ground on the top of the mountain. 

_Maybe, this way…!_

* * *

_Maybe this way I can reach you, Amity!_

Luz knows it’s crazy, but this idea gives her strength to keep going, she keeps running with the sun setting full of shadows crossing on her back.

Then, 

A sting.

Luz feels a sting on her chest, too big to ignore, like a puppet suddenly pulled by the strings.

“Ah!” She yells, feet glued to the ground.

She feels the second her lungs stop working, her lips parting, the air leaving her chest and numbing everything but that feeling that there’s _something_ right there.

Luz stops moving.

* * *

_Ah!_

Amity stops and, somewhat confused, starts turning around. She keeps her eyelids wide open, settling on the bright blue hue of the sky rather than the glare of the setting sun itself, searching for something - _someone_ there.

She’d swear that, right now, they’ve crossed paths. 

It’s killing her, feeling a warm presence in front of her, listening to Luz’s voice, knowing she’s right in front of her and not being able to see her.

_Is it…?_

* * *

Even if she can’t see her, Luz’s convinced that Amity is right here, right in front of her. She finds an empty, distant sort of calm in being certain of that, a presence that she can feel pouring through the deepest part of her soul, calling for her, even if she can’t see her yet.

_Is it… you?_

Luz’s heart throbs painfully in her ribcage, and somehow the silence around her makes it all worse, brutally aware of the three years that separate them.

But she’s _right here_. Right in front of her. And if she extends her hand enough, if she extends herself enough to breach the distance of time and destiny, she might just reach her, all it would take is to lean a bit forward. She needs to try.

Luz extends her arm, nervous. 

* * *

_You’re here_ , Amity thinks. She extends her arm, dazzled, a hopeful attempt to grasp Luz with her hand; heart drenched in need, in desperation.

But her fingers only grasp the air. 

“Luz?” Amity exhales, swallows, anticipatory.

She waits for her answer and one, two, three seconds pass. But no one replies.

 _So, it hasn’t worked?_

_We can’t see each other?_

For the last time, Amity looks around just in case. But on top of the mountain, sun setting underneath hazy shades of lilac, no matter how hard she looks, there is only one person standing still: herself.

Head down, Amity looks to the ground not knowing what to do, a shaky and weak sigh leaves her lips; hands clenched in fists at her sides as the world narrows in an instant, disappointment spilling out of her like a river.

A gentle breeze softly plays with her green hair. The sweat from before is long dry. 

The temperature drops quickly. Amity watches the twilight and notices the sun hiding behind the clouds. Freed from the sunlight, the realms of light and shadow merge, and the silhouettes of the world start to blur. The sky still holds part of the brightness, but the ground is entirely covered with faint shadows. Nothing but the intense rose-coloured light of the sun surrounds her.

 _Right,_ she thinks, the throbbing emptiness in her chest clouding every other thought. This moment of the day had a name. Sunset. Crepuscule. Dusk. When the human silhouettes start to blur and it’s possible to find other beings that don’t belong to our world. Very slowly, Amity whispers:

“The dawn.” 

Two voices have sounded like one. 

_Wait._

_That’s…_

_…Impossible._

Amity shifts her gaze away from the clouds, and finally - _finally_ , finds her. 

She breathes for what feels like the first time as, right in front of her, she sees Luz. 

She’s staring back with her big eyes opened wide, a soft shade of brown, almost like a memory.

More like being surprised, Amity’s lips curve into a smile when she sees her. Her short brown hair frames a rounded face, soft lips, tan skin; and the brown eyes that look back at her - puzzled, perplexed, adorable. And yet, they are the most beautiful color Amity has ever seen.

A thousand words sit on the tip of her tongue, but she only manages one.

“Luz,” Amity says, softening, smiling.

When she hears her name, Luz’s eyes grow watery. 

“Amity…? Amity? _Amity_?” 

Luz repeats her name like a mantra, subtly startled by the way her own eyes sting with tears, and her name sounds like the only right sound Amity’s ever heard.

Luz reaches out her hands and grabs her by the arms. Amity feels her fingers digging deeply, almost painfully. She can’t bring herself to care. 

“ _You’re here, Amity._ ” 

  
  


* * *

What is ‘fate’?

Is it nothing more than the roll of a dice? Or perhaps it's just the caprices of the gods; a suit of armor, chosen for them, that won’t come off. Or maybe it’s a distant, unwavering intent.

Unanswered prayers, and reunions that never transpired; unclear misunderstandings and hatred that keeps piling up. Voices that forgive each other, and hands holding each other tight.

There’s a star that carries them all with it, and as Amity and Luz live on today, finally staring face to face with each other, they wonder.

_What is ‘fate’?_

"Amity?" Luz repeats softly, a voice Amity swears she remembers, something magical and vivid, something beyond the threads of time. "Is it really you…?"

She holds one hand up, as if afraid that touching Amity might shatter her, like she was a mirage worth indulging in. Amity holds her right hand up, touches Luz's fingertips with her own, presses her palm against Luz's.

They’ve finally found each other. They’re seeing each other.

Amity in her own body and Luz in hers, standing face to face. Amity feels a great relief wash over her. A feeling of peace floods every corner of her soul, like she’s spent a lot of time in a country which language she doesn’t speak and, finally, she’s come back home. She feels a great happiness she can’t even convey into words, evident in the curve of her smile.

"You're here," Luz says breathlessly.

Amity can barely keep the tears at bay. She interlaces their hands together, holds her hand tightly in the space between them, the warmth she brings.

"I found you," Amity smiles. _It’s all for you, because of you,_ she thinks. _This is the courage you gave me to find you, everything I’ve done is to be standing right here with you._ They stay like that for a couple of seconds, hands intertwined, hearts pounding. "I can't believe I really found you. You're real, you're here, _you_ \- Can, uh, can I - ?"

Amity stutters, but Luz tugs at her arm and brings her close.

"Come here already," she says as she wraps her in a tight hug. Amity isn’t really used to being hugged, but Luz’s a tactile person and it’s something she’s warming up to; Luz relaxes her grip and Amity lets her hold her closer, gentler, softer. "I can't believe you’re here! I mean, I can’t believe that all of this had to happen for us to meet!"

"Yeah, me too." Amity says and tries to pull away.

Luz holds her a bit tighter.

"Wait. Can we… just stay like this? For a little bit?"

Amity smiles and leans into her arms; Luz’s cheek pressed against her temple, her heart pouring out of her chest, and it’s closer than home.

"Yes.” She says, voice betraying her usual composed nature. “Yes, we can."

It’s warm, in the most comfortable way. For some reason, Luz is always warm and Amity wouldn’t mind being always cold, as long as she has Luz in a close distance, her presence pressed against her already making Amity feel lightheaded. Maybe it’s just the altitude.

When they pull apart, they stare at each other.

“So, uh… “ Amity whispers bashfully. “Nice to meet you, Luz. I mean, to _formally_ meet you.”

Her words fall far into the distance. Far, far, far before. She once introduced her name. _Were you still yourself back then?_

“Nice to formally meet you too, Amity!” Luz smiles. “It’s weird seeing you in front of me and not reflected in the mirror, I was kind of getting used to that by now.”

Luz chuckles, Amity blushes.

“Is that… bad?” Amity asks, tone aiming for casual, like maybe Luz won’t notice what question she’s really posing if she acts like she doesn’t care.

Maybe Luz didn’t want to see her at all. Maybe it was just her selfish wish to see her again.

“No, not at all!” Luz’s smile is bright and comforting. “I like it like this better. I like seeing you, Amity. I think you’re really pretty in _and_ out of a dream!” Amity is absolutely _not_ blushing right now. She can’t be. “And your pointy ears look cuter on you now that I can actually see you! Can I touch them?”

"You absolutely can't."

"You're no fun, Amity." Luz laughs. "But… I’m glad to see you're still you."

"Yeah. Glad to see you're still you, too." Amity says.

She’s still Luz, after everything that’s happened, everything Amity was witnessed. After the pain and the destruction, the hope and the tears. She’s still standing before her. Like a dream, like an illusion. Like she could fade away any second now, and Amity wouldn’t be able to reach her again. Suddenly, the distance between them becomes unbearable.

Amity lifts a hand up to touch Luz's brown and tangled hair. She blushes.

"Hey, I didn't say you could do that."

"I've been wanting to do this for a long while,” Amity says, embers flickering underneath her heart, her blood warm in her veins, “touch your hair with my own hands. Touch you. Know that you’re…"

_Real. That you’re here. That you’re next to me._

Amity's hand settles in the angle of her jaw, the soft of Luz’s cheek. 

"Well… I've wanted this, too." Luz says, placing her own hand on Amity's, sheltering in the softness of her touch. "I can’t tell you how many times I’ve pictured this in my head, how it’d be when we first meet. I even pictured a zombie apocalypse scenario, but in a million years I wouldn’t have thought something like this would happen! Still, I’m kinda… happy. Because you’re here with me. Is that weird?"

Amity shakes her head but doesn't respond, she keeps staring at Luz, her heart buzzing.

 _It’s you_ , she thinks. _It’s always been you._ Amity loses herself in her eyes and wonders how much of her belongs to Luz, like she could draw closer to her and they’d blur into nothing - into everything.

"You're staring, Blight."

Amity is silent for a second longer, eyes flickering in color, mood wavering with her thoughts. She says, “I’m sorry, I - ” and her voice finally cracks and crumbles at the edges. "You're _beautiful_. And this feels… strange. Nice, but strange. It’s nothing I had imagined, either."

Luz flushes red but doesn't look away. She’s gorgeous, brown eyes shimmering under the lights of the sun setting beyond the mountains.

_Am I allowed to dream for this to last forever?_

"Yeah?” Luz says after, glancing at her appreciatively, chest still heaving. “And how does it feel?"

_Am I allowed to hope we can stay just like this, even though this day will end?_

"Real." Amity smiles. One tear makes its way down her cheek, finally breaking through her fortress of ice and quiet hopes.

_Why am I crying? Is it because I’ve fought so hard to be here now and I don’t want this to slip through my fingers?_

Luz palms Amity's face, brushes the tears with her thumbs.

_Is it really okay for me to cling to this? To her?_

"If you wanted it this bad, you should've come sooner." Luz teases.

"For your information, I tried my best here," Amity sniffs through her smile. "I’ve been looking everywhere for you, but you live really far, you knew that?"

"I know you did," Luz presses her forehead against Amity's and prepares to pour forever. "I'm really happy you found me."

_Getting lost in time’s hide and seek, not able to see you. I don’t want that anymore._

"Just - _please_ , next time, don't go this far away.” Amity whispers, vulnerable and flickering with the essence of time pooling in her hands. “Don't go where I can't reach you."

 _Though, even if every piece of your heart scattered through the flood of time, I wouldn’t mind._ She doesn’t voice this, but she’s sure her eyes give off more than the words that leave her lips. _I’d start back at the beginning and I’d look for you all over again._

Luz blinks. "Amity - "

“Luz, I - I thought you were gone.” Amity interrupts, a note wavering under her voice that doesn’t match the steadiness of her tone. “I thought you were gone for good, and that I could never. That you’d never _know_ \- You… You deserve so much more. You deserve to live. And grow, and laugh, and learn, and go live in the terrible Hexside City that you love so much. I wanted to be with you, I wanted to - “

Amity breaks, and Luz is there to catch her.

“It’s okay, you’re here now. You found me, Amity.” She holds her face on her hands tenderly. “You _found_ me. Why are you, of all people, crying, miss ‘I never show my feelings’? Shouldn’t _I_ be the one crying?”

Luz teases. Amity smiles a little, wanting to feel the pressure of Luz’s hand holding hers, wishing for the world to remain just as it is and nothing more, nothing less.

“I’m crying because I’m happy, nitwit.” Amity chuckles through the tears, her whole life pressed against Luz’s heart, her own heart. “You really are terrible.”

“I sure am. Is that why you travelled back to the past to find me? Because you hate me?”

Amity scuffs. “Maybe. It’s definitely _not_ because I like you.”

“How did you do it, anyways? You lived three years in the future.”

“I may or may not have drank…” Amity says, pressing the heels of her palms against her eyes, steadying her breath for what’s to come, “The Elixir of the First Witches.”

“Ew, Amity! That’s gross!” Luz says, voice soaked in disgust. “Why would you do that! That was inside my m - “

Amity flushes. “I know, I know! I’m sorry, would you have preferred I didn’t do it? I wouldn’t be here now!”

“No, no! I’m glad you did, I really am! Just… maybe… don’t do that, like, ever again? And brush your teeth. Please.”

“Sure, should I brush my teeth now, in the middle of nowhere at the top of a mountain?” Amity teases, leaning over her with a slight grin.

“Speaking of, did you hike all the way up here for me?” Luz says. “I didn’t take you for a jock, Blight.”

“There’s much you don’t know about me. Besides, doing things you’re not used to is good sometimes, you know?” Amity scratches the back of her head, a faint blush covering her cheeks. She says quietly, “Especially if that something… leads me to be here with you, now.”

“Then let’s do lots of new things together, Amity!” Luz says, glancing at Amity through the sunset light with her heart sitting on her lips, smile spread wide.

“Yes.” Amity echoes, her own mouth curving in response, crinkling the corners of her eyes. “Let’s.”

She nods to this, her high ponytail swaying slightly with the breeze.

“Oh, is that…” Luz’s expression suddenly changes, she points to Amity’s hair tie.

“Ah, this.”

It’s the orange braided cord. Luz gave it to her three years ago. Amity unties her ponytail, her green hair falling over her shoulders, tangled messily by the tips, but still impeccable as ever.

“You’re such a dummy, Luz,” Amity says, “coming to see me before we even met, how was I supposed to know it was you?

Luz looks away, a small blush blossoms under her tan skin.

“Here.” 

Amity says, placing the worn-out braided cord on the palm of Luz’s hand and closing her fingers around it. Remembering the scene from three years ago inside the train and thinking how hard it must’ve been for Luz, Amity tries to smile a bit wider for her. “I’ve kept it for three years. Now, I’m giving it back to you. It’s your turn.”

Luz opens her hand and stares at the orange cord. Then, she raises her head and finds Amity’s eyes.

“Okay!” Luz smiles, her irises a softer shade than any single one of the colors of the sunset.

Amity hadn’t realized until now, but when Luz smiles, it feels like the whole world is smiling with her. Amity finally allows the smirk she’s been repressing to curl wide across her mouth, and Luz looks over at her and blushes, cheeks warm.

They stay in silence for a few seconds, the sun coming down in the distance.

“Amity, can I…” Luz says, stops, tries again. Her eyes travel down the mountain, where the two lakes rest. “Can I ask you something?”

“Yes, anything.” Amity says slowly, clearly noticing something off but not having any physical proof of it.

“It really happened, didn’t it?” Luz’s smile flickers, and she turns to face the sun. She blinks against the dampness of her eyes, waiting for it to pass. Amity can’t see her face well through the shadows of the evening sunset. “The comet fell during the festival, and I… in that moment, everyone…”

Amity’s breath catches in her chest. She forces the words out.

“Yes. You were all gone.” she says, and swallows, words cutting at her throat. “It was a catastrophe. I’m… I’m really sorry, Luz.”

The words hit Luz in a way similar to a physical force; her chest stutters briefly on an inhale, like a sharp jab to the stomach, and her body holds still.

“Don’t be, Amity. It’s not your fault. I just wish… I wish I’d known… Maybe if I had seen it sooner, I could’ve… They wouldn’t all be…” Luz answers, fingers clenching. She can’t steady her voice. This is all too familiar and foreign and she’s afraid and alone. She remembers climbing up the rocky side of the mountain to nothing, to a dull, throbbing emptiness and a hollow lake where her home used to be. She remembers the ice-cold grip at her heart and her falling to her knees with her eyes glued to a scene full of the ghosts of every single person she’d ever loved. “Willow, Gus, King, Eda… If only I had known, they’d still be here and… I could’ve done something, I - “

“Luz, it’s not on you.” Amity murmurs and sighs with the heaviness of what has gone unsaid resting on her tongue. It doesn’t come out exactly the way she wants it to, but nothing ever does.

“I- I know, but…“ Luz says, watching Amity closing the distance between them without being able to move a single muscle. The world closes in on her, the sky cracking in with the fire of a meteor, the earth shattering under her feet; blood is in her lungs, ash dusting her eyes, and the sound of screams -

“Look at me, _look at me_.” Amity grabs Luz by the arms. She's about to say something when she notices. "You're… shaking."

 _I want to stop those tears,_ she doesn't voice it. Amity knows it when she sees the tears still flowing, that Luz’s hurt goes beyond what she can possibly know. Not only that, but Luz knows this time between them is only temporary, too. Amity needs to do something.

“We’re together now, okay? We have a second chance, and there’s no way we can lose. I promise.” Amity whispers, fingers carefully lacing through Luz’s. She raises her other hand and gently sweeps Luz’s bangs away from her forehead. Vaguely, Luz realizes her eyes are clouded with tears. “You’re Luz Noceda. You’ve done things I could never do. And you’re not alone this time.” She draws her best hopeful smile just for her. Only for her, tugging at her hand playfully. “Repeat with me: we can fix this together. Come on!”

Luz is silent for a long moment, eyes tracing over her face, every inch of her, the shape of her golden eyes, and the curve of her neck. Eventually, she smiles a bit.

“We can… fix this together. Okay. Yes… Yes! That’s it, we have another chance. You travelled to the past, I’m sure we can do something different this time and save everyone! We can fix this together, Amity!”

“Heck yes, we can!” Amity smiles softly.

“It’s like we’re time flyers!” Luz says, feeling hopeful again. “Running up the time and changing the past!”

Amity stares at her. At this girl whose life has been torn apart in a matter of seconds, by chance.

She’s lost everything, everyone she’s ever loved. She’s seen her world crumble down and burst into flames before her own eyes; yet still, she’s smiling right in front of her, happy to have this one chance to make things right, optimistic as ever. She’s never given up on anything, not even on Amity when she was being impossible when they first met. She’s always been kind, her smile bright like the sunlight, filling Amity’s chest with light, flooding her veins with warmth.

She can’t believe she almost forgot about her, ever. She doesn’t even know how she’s lived up until now without having her in her life, having her close, real. 

Amity doesn’t think she could live a life where Luz doesn’t exist anymore. The thought is unbearably heavy on Amity’s shoulders, and suddenly all she wants to do is hold her close, never let go. She feels tears build up behind her eyelids, but she doesn’t want Luz to notice.

Before she registers her own movements, Amity tangles her fingers in Luz’s hair and pulls her down, arms wrapping around her tightly and it feels like falling into the middle of something, miles from the beginning and nowhere near the end.

“Hey,” Luz says, slowly returning the hug. “Are you okay?”

“I’ve missed you. So, so much.” Amity finally snaps, breathes out, muscles tensing like her whole body is fighting the urge to break. “After we stopped exchanging bodies, wherever I went, I… I kept wishing you were there. And if you had been, I would’ve tried to tease you and start one of our silly fights. You would’ve told me I’m such a snob city girl, and we’d start arguing until we’d burst into laughter. I wouldn't have admitted it, but I would’ve had so much fun.”

Amity leaves out a wet breath, trying to force the words out past the lump in her throat.

“Maybe I… missed talking to you, and I missed how I’d wake up to my phone full of scribbles and silly drawings just because you wanted me to know every single silly detail of your life in the big city when I got back in my body. I missed asking your friends questions about you when I was supposed to be you just because I wanted to know more about you but I was too afraid to ask directly. I missed sleeping in your bed and falling asleep to the sounds of cicadas and your warmth. I missed how it was your face the first thing I saw when I looked in the mirror - I saw you, and I even missed your stupid bed hair.”

Amity lets out a shaky chuckle. “The twins thought I was crazy. They kept asking me why I was acting so strange, and I won’t lie, I hated you at first, but then… I kept forgetting that we had never ever actually met, to me you were simply another part of me, _much more_ than just a part of me. When you disappeared, I couldn’t just give up. Ed and Em came with me here and they kept asking but I couldn’t give them a straight answer. I just - I couldn’t give up on you because…” 

Amity’s eyes are burning, and this short time they’ve been gifted isn’t enough anymore. She doesn’t want this moment to end. She doesn’t want to let Luz go, ever again.

“I don’t want to live in a world without you,” she finishes quietly.

Luz doesn’t say anything, she just tightens the hug, lightly rocking her weight between feet; and, for now, that’s enough for Amity. Having her close is everything she’s wanted ever since she planned this crazy journey to the top of a mountain in the past.

“You’ve changed a lot, you knew that?” Luz gently runs her fingertips across Amity’s forehead and temple, pushing her hair behind her ear. “The Amity I first met wouldn’t have come this far for a stranger.”

“But you’re not just any stranger.” Amity hears her own voice.

“I know. But… I’m so happy you’d come all this way for me. We have a second chance now, and I plan to do everything I can to make things right! But, just in case things don’t go as planned - “

“What are you saying? They _will_ go okay. We’ll fix it together, all of it.” Amity insists.

“I know, I know! Just, in case this is the last time we see each other, I want you to know that… there’s a special place for you here, Amity.” She says, holding Amity’s hand right above her chest, a smile drawn on her lips. “You now, and even the ‘you’ from back there is still right at the center of my heart. You’ve always been.”

She looks at Amity in a way that says _‘even when the world turns its back on you, you still got me to help you stand up again’_.

“Luz…” Amity says, it’s barely even a whisper.

_It’s like I knew you long before I learned my own name._

She feels herself leaning in.

“I…”

_I’ve heard a million love songs in my life. After so many movies, every love story has been told to death. And even though you and I were born in such different places, I…_

“Amity…” Luz breathes out painfully close, their noses brushing.

 _Now that you’re here,_ Amity’s heart flutters. _Now that I’m finally seeing you reflected in my eyes._

“…Promise me, Luz. That no matter how far we are, we’ll always find the way back to each other.” _You’re my safe place in this world,_ is what goes unsaid.

 _I loved the smell of you, the sound of your laughter._ Amity’s heart is pouring out like a waterfall. _I faced the fact that you’ll eventually disappear, so I have no choice but to burn your entire existence into my memory, with these two eyes._ She wants to engrave Luz, everything that she is, on her soul, so she’ll never forget what home feels like. _If this is the only way of keeping you close to me._

“I promise.” Luz says, her smile big and confident. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily, Blight. I plan on ordering a ton of pancakes with your money next time we meet.”

Amity smiles, and it’s genuine. “I actually spent my savings coming here so… I think I might be broke?”

They stare at each other for five solid seconds.

Suddenly, Luz lets out a chuckle, and then she’s full-on laughing. She’s laughing so hard that she has to hold her stomach. Amity stares in awe, not entirely understanding the situation they’re in. First they cry, then they get all deep, and now Luz is bursting off laughing.

But as Amity sees her giggling, she feels a silly smile climb up her face, and, not even noticing, she looks down covering her face with her hand and starts chuckling, too.

She’s having a great time. They laugh and keep laughing, not even stopping to breathe, like two silly kids during sunset at the end of the world, so bright and blurry at the same time.

* * *

Kindness, smiling, and talking of dreams. Time passes them by like the wind. Slowly, the temperature goes down. And gradually, the evening light fades away. 

_Just a little longer._

“Hey, Luz.” 

_Please, let me be with her just a little longer._

Amity recognises this feeling. It’s how she used to feel when she was little and she had spent all evening after class playing with her friends, and her mother came to pick her up and take her home. _It’s time to leave._

“There’s still so much left to do,” Amity says. She smiles like her heart is breaking, or maybe it’s fitting its pieces clumsily back together. “Pay attention. From here on out is _your_ story.” 

_Just a little more._

Welding experience, wisdom, and slightly molded courage, Amity tries to be strong. For her.

_Where should I start? How should I explain all that happened while you were in a long, long dream?_

Amity tells her about the plan she, Gus, and Willow had come up with. Luz listens carefully with a stern face, nodding now and then. Seeing her expression, Amity knows, sadly, that Luz really remembers about everything. She remembers the stars falling, the shattered village. That, in that moment, she died. For Luz, everything that happens today will be a painful reminder of that night. 

“There it is…” Luz whispers, her voice shaky as she looks at the sky. 

Amity turns to the direction she’s looking at, she finds the blurry silhouette of the Tiamat comet’s tail in the western sky, growing a darker shade of blue every minute. 

_Please, stay with me just a little more._

“It’s okay.” Amity finally says, green hair swinging over her shoulders and not quite managing to hide the sadness of her smile. She tries to cheer her up with conviction, though part of her needed to hear that as well. “We still have time.”

Fulfilled with nothing but expectations, they place their arms on each other’s shoulders as saying ‘ _we’ll make it work somehow. It doesn’t mean we’re not scared, but we’re together and we’re unstoppable_ ’.

“Yeah. I’ll try my best!” Luz says, then her gaze travels to the sky beyond their mountain, the sun hiding under the clouds. “Oh, the dawn is about to…” 

As Luz talks, Amity sees that she’s starting to grow translucid. Her skin grows faint and transparent, fragile like glass. She can see the pink and lilac hue of the skyline through her fingers, climbing up her arms, and Amity’s scared she might shatter or fade away entirely.

“…To end.” Amity finishes her words. 

_The wind that passes between us two, why does it carry all this sadness?_

The last traces of the sunset are almost completely gone. The night will fall at any moment. 

_No, no - no! I don’t want this to end. Not yet!_

_Is there anything else I can do?_

_Something to show Luz that I…_

Amity tries to shake all her insecurities away, she paints a smile on her face and turns to Luz, tries her best to sound cheerful when she talks. The time finally came and everything’s changed. Everything’s changed except the one thing that really matters. But she can still hope.

“Hey, Luz. Let’s do something so, when we wake up, we don’t forget about this.” Amity says and takes a pen she kept in her pocket. She takes Luz’s hand and starts quickly scribbling in her palm. “Let’s write our names! Like this, look.”

Amity’s grin turns into a gentler smile, gaze tender. Then, she hands the pen to Luz.

“Okay!” 

The radiant smile that blooms in Luz’s lips reminds Amity of a beautiful flower.

Amity takes in the shine of her eyes in the dim light, the way her heartbeat pounds like it’s exhilarated for finally allowing itself to be so openly affectionate, vulnerable. Luz’s hand resting on hers is all too achingly familiar, too painfully soft. She’s focused on losing her for so long that the ghost of the love she feels for her is what sinks its teeth into her skin, the thought of a future where Luz can hold her and soothe her and kiss her like she is the only thing in the world worth touching filling every crack inside her chest as she tends her own hand towards Luz.

It isn’t the first time Amity thinks about love, but it’s the loudest. So she has to do everything in her power to fix the past, to make things right for that future.

Luz holds Amity’s right hand and places the tip of the pen on her palm, ready to write letter by letter her name so Amity doesn’t forget about her when she wakes up from this reality that feels like a dream. So she doesn’t forget about Luz. The tip of the pen brushes Amity’s skin as Luz presses it further, and then--

A low _thud_ fills the air of the night.

Like something fell on the ground, next to her feet. 

Looking down, Amity sees the pen on the rocky ground. 

“Huh?” She looks up. In front of her, there’s no one. “ _Huh…?_ ” 

Amity looks around. 

“Luz? Hey! _Luz!?_ ” She screams, but no answer comes. 

Anxious, she starts walking around the edge of the mountain. The surrounding landscape is filled with a dark and gloomy shade of blue. At her feet, she glimpses a layer of shallow, dark clouds and, further down, totally immersed in darkness, the blurred shapes of Lake Bonesborough in the shape of a pumpkin. 

Luz’s gone. 

The night has come. 

Amity’s back to her own body, three years in the future. 

She touches her hair. She isn’t wearing the orange hair tie anymore. In the palm of her right hand, there’s a single, short, not too thick line drawn halfway through. Amity follows the stroke with her fingertip, very carefully. 

“I was going to tell you…” She whispers to that stroke. “I wanted you to know that, wherever you are, I’ll go to the end of the world if I have to just to see you again!”

_I want you here with me, in this and in every lifetime we’ll ever have!_

Amity remembers the first time she saw her eyes, as hazel as the color of the sky when the sun has set. So full of magic.

_A world where you don’t exist means nothing to me!_

She remembers the touch of her silky brown hair between her fingers. How it slipped smoothly, as unpredictable and wild as she herself.

_We’re time flyers, right?_

She remembers when she heard her laugh for the first time. As fresh and new as the sound of the river flowing down its stream for the first time since winter ended. So cheerful and warm, like the breeze that tells you summer is coming.

_You’ll come back to me, right?_

She remembers how the warmth of her smile filled every corner of Amity’s chest with light, something she doesn’t ever want to let go. The familiarity, the closeness, the home she found in Luz. Amity remembers that she never got to tell her…

_In this life and in the next one._

_I promise I will always find you!_

Amity looks up at the sky. There’s no comet in sight; in its place, Amity finds some stars starting to glow faintly in the vault of the sky. 

“Your name is Luz.” Amity closes her eyes to confirm her memories, to carve them in her mind. “Okay, I remember!”

_I remember how my heart overtook my body, how it flew to find you in this place!_

With a newly found confidence in her memory, Amity opens her eyes. Further away, the light glowing of a crescent moon. 

_Yes, Luz! I want to spend as many chapters as we can - no, I want to spend my entire life living on and on, together! I want to see you again!_

“Luz, Luz… Luz, Luz, _Luz_. Your name is Luz!” 

Amity shouts her name to the moon. 

“Your name is…!” 

Suddenly, the shape of the word Amity was going to say starts to fade away. 

Alarmed, she picks up the pen with shaky hands and writes the first letter of her name in the palm of her right hand. Or so she tries. 

_“…!”_

Still, her hand freezes right before she finishes the first stroke. The tip of the pen starts shaking. She focuses all her strength in the tips of her fingers to stop the trembling. The pen stays still, pinned like a chisel trying to carve a name into the palm of Amity’s hand so she doesn’t forget it. But the pen refuses to move an inch more. 

Finally, Amity opens her mouth. 

“Who are you…?” 

The pen falls to the ground. 

_They’re disappearing._

_Your name._

_Your memories._

“Why did I come to this place…?” Amity asks herself, trying to connect the dots, to gather the pieces of her shattered memories. “I came… I came to see her! To save her! Because I wanted her to keep living!” 

_It’s fading away_. Something that was very dear to Amity, it’s fading away. 

“Who are you!? Who are you? Who are you? _Who are you…?_ ” 

Her feelings are scattering. Amity’s emotions, so vivid until seconds ago, start to grow dim. She feels tears build up in the corner of her eyes.

“Someone important to me. Someone I can’t forget. Someone I didn’t want to forget!” 

_Someone I cared for! No matter how far we reached out, words like “fate” and “future” never broke us apart!_

The sadness and love Amity felt moments ago grow into something hollow. 

_Why am I crying?_ An invisible force shatters her emotions like a sandcastle by the water seas. 

“Who are you…? Who are you…? _Who are you…?_ ” 

Even if the sandcastle crumbles down, there’s still small pieces of sand. _What I’m feeling now is nostalgia… As if I was… homesick_ , Amity tells herself. In this moment, she realizes something. From now on, all she’ll ever have is this feeling. She’ll carry this longing with her everywhere, like a heavy burden placed upon her shoulders. 

The sky after she cried was awfully transparent. 

_Alright_ , Amity thinks. If the world is such a cruel place, then she’ll keep living with all her might, carrying this feeling of missing something as her shield. She’ll fight until her last breath with this lone feeling. Even if they’re apart, even if they don’t see each other again, Amity will keep fighting. 

It’s like this world still wants to keep her on a close leash. But that’s the way it’s always been, isn’t it? Amity has struggled so beautifully to reach her, staring at their respective hourglasses and watching the time run short.

 _I won’t ever give up…!_ Her mind is made up. Part of her feels this is fighting back against the odds, destiny itself. Soon enough, she’ll forget even the fact that she’s forgotten about her. So, shielding in this feeling of missing something dear, Amity looks up at the sky, and, for the last time, she screams at the top of her lungs. 

“ _What is your name!?_ ” 

Her voice grows into an echo and starts resounding between the mountains. It echoes again and again in the shallow sky until her words lose their meaning. 

In the end, all Amity can hear is an overwhelming silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So..............  
> That's it :) I feel like you're all gonna yell at me in the comments, but I'm okay with that.  
> I tried to make it as full of feelings like the movie as possible, what did you think?  
> Next chapter on Wednesday: Luz will face the comet!


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Almost the last chapter yet!  
> Luz faces the comet, trying her hardest to save everyone she loves, to not forget about the girl who gave her a second chance at life.

_Amity._

Luz runs desperately.

_Amity, Amity._

She runs and runs through the animal trail as she repeats her name over and over again in her mind. Like an omen, like a mantra, like a promise she desperately needs to keep alive. 

_Amity, Amity, Amity._

Her feet push harder and harder against the rocky ground as she runs forward, pushing past the ache of every burning joint and muscle in her body; and she goes fast, faster.

 _It’s okay,_ Luz thinks. _I remember!_

Running past the trees around her has opened some wounds over her arms and legs, and it doesn’t help that Luz’s stumbled and almost fallen twice already as she heads down the mountain. She thinks her bruises are bleeding, but she has no time to worry about scraped knees now; her chest rises and falls as jagged pants leave her lips and sweat covers every inch of her skin.

_No matter what, I will never forget about you!_

There’s never enough oxygen in her lungs, but Luz can’t stop running fast, _faster_ across the forest, down the mountain; until, after a short time she starts to see the Bonesborough lights blinking among the trees. The music of the festival starts to reach her ears weakly and hesitantly.

_Amity, Amity, Amity!_

Luz looks up at the sky. The comet Tiamat, with its long tail, shines brighter than the moon. She repeats the name of Amity again and again, trying to keep down the fear that threatens to paralyze her.

_Your name is Amity!_

* * *

The rumble of a motorcycle reaches Luz’s ears and, when she raises her head, still panting heavily, she finds some lights flashing in front of her.

It’s Gus, riding a motorcycle too big for his tiny body. Luz wonders how did he get it, and how does he even know how to ride it.

"Gus!" Luz shouts, walking up to the motorcycle.

"Luz! Where have you been?"

He scolds her, brow furrowed as he steps down the motorcycle and stares at her in the eye, confused for her absence. It makes sense, Amity probably left them in the middle of something and went up the mountain trying to find her. Now it’s her turn to put all the missing pieces together. And that starts with an explanation, but… Luz wishes she could explain it to him, but she doubts he’d believe her; she doubts anyone would believe this crazy story of travelling to the past and changing history, saving lives. So Luz keeps it to herself.

She looks at Gus up and down: he's wearing his usual high school uniform, with his black-buttoned pants and jacket, his sleeves rolled up, and a huge helmet with a built-in flashlight. He looks like he's about to go on a field trip with the class to a cave.

"Oh! Before I forget! She says sorry for breaking your bike," Luz says, suddenly remembering when Amity told her about Gus’ broken bike. At that time, Luz was just happy that Amity was safe and not hurt.

"What are you talking about?” Gus tilts his head, his dark hair falling over his forehead. “ _Who_ says that?"

Luz opens her eyes a lot.

_Stupid! How do you expect him to know who Amity is! Of course Gus has no idea what you’re talking about!_

Luz opens her mouth, tries again. " _Uh_ \- Me! I’m sorry, I broke your bike. Well, to be fair it kinda fell off a cliff. So it’s, like, pretty dead now. Sorry about that. About _me_ breaking it."

Gus furrows his eyebrows and, without saying a word, turns off the engine of the motorcycle and lights the flashlight on his helmet.

"Okay, well. You'll have to tell me everything later, understand?" He says, somewhat annoyed, voice steadier than Luz remembers ever hearing from him. He’s really focused on their plan. That’s good, Luz is gonna need all the help she can get.

They both run off to the electricity substation.

* * *

On the metal plate hanging from the fence, the following instructions can easily be read:

**< <Bonesborough Power Substation. Private property. Prohibited entry.>>**

Beyond that, a lot of silhouettes of transformers and iron towers can be seen, outlining a complicated grid in the enclosure. There are no personnel in the facilities; the only lighting is from a few red lights installed on the machines.

They’re standing in front of the iron fence watching the comet, shining brightly above their heads with blazing blue and purple colors, completely unaware of the repercussions of its presence.

"So it’s gonna fall? The comet? For _real_?" Gus asks Luz, looking up at the dark night sky, a conflicted expression written all over his face.

He’s really worried, Luz understands. They’re just kids, they should be playing, making jokes, going together to the festival, and eating goodies; instead, they’re the only hope of survival for hundreds of people. They’re the last defence these people have, the only ones brave or stupid enough to try to defy the fate that’s been written for them. They might face the authorities’ wrath after what they’re about to do; but, Luz knows, there really isn’t any other way. They _have_ to do this. Because, even if she’s utterly terrified as well, evident in her trembling hands as she tightly grabs the edge of her skirt, there’s one thing she’s absolutely certain of.

That the comet _will_ fall.

And when it does, they all will be gone forever.

And Amity… 

_Oh, Amity._

She would’ve gone to the ends of the world for a lost cause, for nothing.

She’d promised they'd find each other once this is all over. Luz can’t afford to lose her again, losing her forever this time.

Not her, not any of the people she dearly loves.

They have to do this, and they have to do this _together_. All of them.

"It really is gonna fall! I've seen it with my own eyes," Luz answers, looking directly at his black irises. There are only two hours left until the impact. She can't waste time explaining.

Gus looks at her for a brief moment with distrust, but immediately lets out an intense sigh and manages a tiny, hopeful smile. It seems like his last attempt to draw strength from his weakness.

"So you've seen it, huh? Well, then we have no choice!"

He exclaims as he opens his sports bag with renewed energy and shows Luz some bundles wrapped in brown paper that resemble the witnesses of the relay races. The bag is full of those gadgets. _The hydrogel explosives._ Luz swallows with effort past the tight lump in her throat.

Then, Gus takes out a large chain cutter that’s bigger than his hands and, placing the two around the chains that block the entrance to the electric substation's fence, he places the cutter holding the chain in its opening, ready to cut them with determination.

"Luz," he calls her, tilting his face to find Luz’s eyes, swirling with resolution, fear, and excitement. "If we keep going, this is gonna be much _more_ than a simple prank. You know that, don’t you?”

This is it.

They can’t back down now.

_We’re really doing this, Amity!_

Luz fills her chest with the cold air of the night and nods at him, fists tightening at her sides, knuckles turning slightly white.

"Please continue, Gus!” She says, voice steadier than she would’ve expected, given the circumstances. She’s going to be everything Amity asked her to since the beginning. She’ll think things through, assess the situation, embrace any consequence there is after everyone’s safe. “I'll take full responsibility, I promise!”

"Don’t be silly! I didn't mean it that way," Gus replies, pretending to be offended. He raises the chain cutter and presses forward, yelling. "Now you and I are partners in crime!"

The noise that the chain makes when it is cut resounds loudly throughout the cold and heavy air of the night, as if it were trying to tear away the darkness that invades them.

* * *

There’s wind everywhere around them, but all Luz can hear is Gus’ voice sounding louder than the air swirling around her ears, under the heavy helmet she’s wearing.

"When we blow up the power substation, there’s gonna be a blackout all over town. After the blackout in the village, the high school should immediately switch to use the emergency power supply, in theory. So, when that happens, we can start the transmission telling everyone to evacuate!" Gus shouts to the cell phone Luz’s holding for him.

Since he's driving the motorcycle at full speed, Luz has been holding it up to his face from the back seat.

They’ve hardly run into any other vehicles along the way. The prefecture road is completely dark, but after a while, they start to see lights coming from the houses that are scattered around it. Their destination is a bright spot between two mountains, on a slope: the sanctuary of the First Witches, the site of the autumn festival.

_I’m back._

_I’m finally back._

The sudden thought echoes in Luz’s mind, and she wonders why getting closer to her home feels so foreign for her. She feels a strange longing, as if she had finally returned to her hometown after a long time of absence.

_But I was gone for… three years._

Now Luz understands. For her, it’s like yesterday was the last day she’s been here, but deep down she knows she isn’t even supposed to be here at all. She died three years ago, they all did; the house, the festival, her friends and family. She hasn’t really seen any of them in three years, and the longing overwhelms her heart like a waterfall, spilling out the edges of her narrowed world, so she holds a little bit tighter to Gus while the motorcycle keeps speeding up on their way home.

_Home._

"Luz,” Gus breaks the silence and she forgets what she was thinking of, focusing again on the task at hand. “Willow wants to talk to you."

"Yes? Willow?" Luz places her phone to her ear, holding tightly to the motorcycle with her other hand. The last thing she wants to do is falling off when they’re going at this dashing speed.

"I’m here in the broadcast room, but…" Willow says, her whispered words barely making their way to Luz’s ears over the sound of the wind around them. "Do I really have to? I mean, are we _really_ doing this, Luz?"

Luz feels a blast of pain in her chest when she hears her voice of concern. If she were in Willow’s place, Luz would probably be incredibly concerned and upset, too. Willow is an excellent student, a great daughter and she’s never done anything chaotic or harmful on purpose; yet, she still went to school at night by herself and snuck into the broadcast room because Luz asked her to. If it weren't for their strong friendship, she probably would have refused to do so.

"I feel terrible asking you, Willow, but you really have to do it, please!" That's all Luz can tell her right now. She knows she owes her - she owes _both_ of them. That’s why, when this is all over and they’re all safe, Luz silently promises she’ll tell the truth, the whole truth, if only to them who helped her keep everyone safe and sound at the end of the night. _If_ they make it. Luz needs to make sure everybody does their part if she wants this to really work, she has to insist. "It's a matter of life and death! If we don't do it, a lot of people will die! When you start broadcasting, try to repeat the message a lot. The more times you repeat it, the better."

She doesn't get a response. All Luz hears through the headphones is a slight, labored breathing through the nose.

"Willow? Can you hear me, Willow?"

She starts to worry. If Willow doesn’t broadcast the message, the people won’t know that the only place that’s safe from the comet falling is the High School building, and Gus and she don’t have nearly enough time to warn them all; but then she hears a whisper that seems to say _"Let's do it"_.

"All right, screw it! Tell Gus when this is over, we’ll have a moon conjuring to celebrate!"

Luz smiles at this. Yes, _when_ this is over. One way or another, the night will end at the end of the day. They’ll just have to make sure it’s the right ending, the one that allows them to see the morning sun rising over the mountains above their heads once the darkness fades.

"What did she say?" Gus asks, voice muffled by the wind.

Luz hangs up, places her phone in the pocket of her skirt, and, shouting at the top of her lungs to be heard with the loud rumbling noise of the motorcycle, she answers him.

"We’re having a moonlight conjuring!"

"Awesome!” Luz can almost hear him smiling. “Come on, we’re gonna make it!"

While Gus shouts his war cry, Luz stares in awe at the scenery of flickering lights in front of them.

They’re travelling down the mountain, on the paved road that leads them to the sanctuary of the First Witches. On the cliff-like slope of the mountain before them, the whole town shines through a thousand tiny lights scattered over where the festival is taking place. The lanterns, candles, street lights, houses, the lit fires on the sanctuary, they’re all blazing and dotting the dark night with flickering lights, much like the stars on the vault of the sky above them.

“It shouldn't be long now, right?” Luz’s voice sounds dim under the sound of the motorcycle.

“I have no idea!” Gus answers, and then--

**BOOM!**

They hear behind them the sound of a loud explosion, similar to the deafening launching of fireworks, which makes his voice fall silent, eyes growing wider and hearts hammering unsteadily.

Gus stops the motorcycle and they turn around, lungs gasping for air. 

**BOOM!**

They hear a second explosion. And a third one. And another. The noise of the explosion chain reverberates throughout the area and every other sound feels muted, extremely meaningless when all their ears can grasp is the deafening sound of the hydrogel bombs detonating, the facility blowing up and erupting burning pieces of shattered iron around the substation and the mountains.

A black smoke starts to rise from the area where Gus and Luz were before, approximately halfway up the mountainside. The giant transition tower begins to tilt as if in slow motion, falling to the side and rushing to clash with the ground beneath.

"Gus…" Luz says, voice trembling.

She knew their plan included blowing up the substation, and she knew what they were doing when they placed the hydrogel bombs all over it - still, seeing the gigantic fire rise up and swallow the facility in ashes and black smoke is everything but what she’d initially expected. Still, they’re doing the right thing. _Right?_

"Oh my Titan. We _really_ did that, didn’t we?" Gus’ breath, which tries to sound like a laugh, sounds shaky too.

“Gus, we… “ Luz starts. And just then:

**BOOM!**

Finally, the last explosion, more striking and deafening than the others, makes all the lights in the village go out.

The lanterns, street lights, houses, paved streets, lights down the long stone stairs that lead to the sanctuary, the lamps all over the autumn festival’s stands, the town hall, hospital, and high school building; they all go out one after another, like domino pieces falling over one after the other. Soon, the whole village is swallowed by the night, the Moon the only light shining upon them and being reflected over the large and pristine mirror that is Lake Bonesborough, in the centre of it all.

And even above the lake and the Moon, the comet shines proudly. Its brilliant sparks and the glittering colors of its tail. The blue, white, purple, and yellow tones that draw a trail through the sky - Breathtaking _._

_Inevitable._

"Luz, look at that." Gus tells her, somewhat absently. His voice sounds distant, unreal, hazy - almost like a dream.

Luz can’t keep her eyes off the comet, bright and captivating; of the town, darkened and full of people who need their guidance.

"The blackout." Luz says in the same tone of voice. She’s resolute.

* * *

_We've done it._ _We've really done it._

Suddenly, they start to hear the loud and pressing sound of emergency sirens.

**<...uuuUUuuu...>>**

The infernal siren resounds all over the town through the speakers with such power that Luz starts to fear for the safety of her eardrums. The ominous noise - Luz thinks that’s what the screams of a giant would sound like if they really existed - spreads through the mountains and floods the village of Bonesborough completely.

 _Willow did it!_ , Luz celebrates.

She has intercepted the signal from the wireless disaster prevention line.

Gus and Luz look at each other and nod in unison, both certain that it’s their time to push forward, to warn the people and get them all to safety, now that they’re backed up by Willow’s broadcasted message. They quickly get back on the motorcycle and rush to the sanctuary.

Just then, Willow's voice starts coming through the speakers, as if she were encouraging them to keep going. She starts to read the text they have prepared slowly and calmly; nobody would say that until recently she’s been second-guessing every decision she’s ever made up until now.

**< <This is the city council speaking. An explosion has taken place at the Bonesborough electrical substation. There is a risk of further explosions and a forest fire in the nearby mountains.>>**

Gus' motorcycle takes a detour from the prefectural road and starts to climb a very narrow mountain path. This is the secondary slope, less inclined, that leads to the sanctuary of the First Witches. If they follow this path, they’ll reach the back of the main sanctuary building without having to climb the entire stone staircase that leads to the sanctuary with the motorcycle, which honestly would take them forever.

Luz holds on to Gus with all her strength to resist the loud clatter of the seat while in the background she hears Willow's voice, resonating throughout the village. Her voice sounds loud, clear, and collected; Luz is convinced that no one has considered the fact that the broadcast does not actually come from the town hall.

**< <There is a risk of more explosions occurring and the spread of the forest fire.** **We request the inhabitants of the city to immediately leave their houses and go to the Bonesborough High School building to seek shelter... >>**

"The time has come.” Gus’ voice sounds heavy and determined. “Here we go, Luz!"

"Yes!” Luz manages to say. “Let’s do this! Teamwork! We can save everyone!”

They jump off the motorcycle and start to rush down the stretch of wooden stairs built on the slope at the back of the sanctuary. Through the trees, Luz sees the lightless tents of the countless food stalls that have been set up in rows on the temple grounds, as well as groups of people wandering aimlessly, like little fish swimming back and forth in a dark and crowded tank.

As they run, they take off their helmets. Warm drops of sweat cover their temples when they run towards the crowd.

**< <We repeat. This is the town hall speaking. An explosion has taken place at the Bonesborough electrical substation. There is a risk of further explosions and a forest fire in the nearby mountains...>>**

As they go down the stairs, they come across the back of the main sanctuary building. They see the silhouettes of the people who had gathered at the festival site. They start to hear whispers of concern. Gus and Luz run through the crowd, as if competing with each other, and shout:

"Run away! There's a fire in the mountains! This area is dangerous!"

Gus' voice is so incredibly powerful that it sounds like he's talking through a megaphone. He makes a bunch of illusion copies of himself to spread the message faster and reach as many people as possible. Luz also shouts with all her strength to convince them there’s a real danger coming.

"Run away! There's a fire in the mountains! Please, evacuate!"

Soon, they arrived at the central area of the sanctuary enclosure. Her voice sounds midway through imperative and scared. There’re so many people around them and they need to get them out as fast as possible. She promised she’d make things right.

The people look confused, at best. Their whispers reach Luz’s ears, and that doesn’t help with settling her heart.

"Eh…? A fire, really?"

"Come on, let's get out of here…"

"Do we really have to walk all the way to the school?"

The message broadcast over the wireless disaster prevention line has already started to resonate with the audience, but Luz and Gus’ shouts give them one last push to get moving. Men and women dressed in fancy clothing, small children, old people holding their grandchildren's hands; all of them start to head calmly and in order towards the porch at the exit of the sanctuary. _Heck yes!_ At this rate they’ll surely have time to evacuate them, to save them - save all of their lives.

Everything thanks to her.

_Wait._

_Her?_

“Luz!” She immediately turns to Gus, who’s calling her in a pressing voice. His thick brows are furrowed, drops of sweat forming on his temples, his black eyes darting around the sanctuary’s enclosure and scanning their situation. "This isn’t working!"

Luz looks in the direction he’s pointing. Now that she looks closely, she sees groups of people sitting quietly by some stands, people standing around chatting, and people smoking or drinking alcohol; some even seem to be having fun.

 _That’s bad_ , it’s all Luz manages to think, because her mind is strangely clouded. There’s something she should be remembering, a pressing memory that can’t seem to reach the surface of her mind, something she aches to not forget. _Someone_. Yes, that’s it. She’s here for someone, because of someone.

_Her…_

Luz’s trying to remember with all her might, find something else to hold on to. She knows there was someone, right? Someone important, or at least she thinks there was. Luz tries to remember the features of her face, they are already diffuse and hard to grasp. Even the echo of her voice has disappeared from her memory.

_Her…?_

Gus’ voice sounds more pressing in her ears.

"As long as they don’t see the mountain fire coming this way, these people won’t move! We have to get the firemen to come and lead the evacuation! You have to go back to the city hall and convince the mayor! You can do it this time, Luz. You _have_ to!" Gus is standing next to her, but his impatient shouting seems so far away, like a voice she heard somewhere inside a dream once, surreal. He grabs her by the shoulder forcefully, turning her around to face him. Then, his eyes grow wide. "Luz? Can you hear me? Hey… are you okay?"

_Who is… her?_

_Who is her?_

Pieces of scattered memories draw her silhouette in her mind. But, as soon as they come, they fade away. Luz tries again. Waves of uncertainty blur Luz’s memory again and again, like the sea foam drags the sand and wipes out the grooves of the shore. Threads of wind haul away the corner of her smile, fraying volatilely her picture from Luz’s mind. _No_ . Luz’s heart hammers inside her ribcage. _Who is she…? Who is she…? Who…?_

“Her name…!” Luz feels tears in her eyes, a little knot making its way in her stomach; every part of Luz’s soul shivers at the overwhelming absence where her name should be, where _she_ used to be. “I’m trying so hard, but… I can’t remember her name…!”

Gus turns his face into a worried expression, eyes slightly wider, mouth slightly opened. Half a dozen emotions cross through his face, but then he furrows his brow again, expression growing dark and severe.

"What are you even saying, Luz!? That doesn’t matter right now!" He roars, incensed. He raises his arms, pointing at everywhere around them. He’s yelling at her because his friend’s mind is everywhere but where he needs her the most - making sure these people are safe. "Look around you! _You_ started all this!"

Gus glances at Luz, distraught clear in the fire of his eyes; Luz doesn’t remember ever seeing him this angry.

In the background, she hears Willow's message on a loop through the speakers: <We urge the inhabitants to immediately go to the Bonesborough High School to seek shelter…>>. Until now Luz hadn’t noticed that her voice was shaking, as if she was about to burst into tears.

 _What are you doing, Luz_ , she tells herself. _These people need you. Gus and Willow need you. She… She asked you to be strong. She trusted you._

"Go, Luz!" Gus shouts at her in a piercing tone of voice, but there’s no bite to it, it’s more like a plea this time. "Go talk to Lilith! You have to convince her to help us!”

Luz feels like she’s been slapped. She regains her composure at last, her cheeks still damped with warm tears. She shakes her head, focusing her mind on the task at hand once again.

"Yes - _Yes_ , you’re right! I’m gonna go talk to her, I’ll change her mind!"

She nods in agreement and runs with all her strength. Behind her back, way up in the mountains, there’s a huge explosion. The sky is covered with black smoke and ashes - probably the last hydrogel explosive they installed - and Luz hears Gus screaming again ("Run, come on! Go to the school building!") as the fire spreads through the forest on the mountain slopes. Meanwhile, Willow's voice keeps on echoing throughout the town (<<There is a danger of forest fire. Please go to Bonesborough High School to seek shelter…>>).

Luz makes her way through the crowd, trying not to push the people that are clammed around her, passes under the wide porch, and starts to speed down the stone staircase leading to the sanctuary.

 _"You started all this"_ , Gus had told her. _That's right,_ Luz thinks. _I started all this. We started it, "she" and I._

And even though Luz can’t seem to remember her name, her face, her memories… She knows that, somewhere along the thread of time and destiny, there’s a girl waiting for her to do the right thing, to save everyone, to be back by her side. She doesn’t know who she is, doesn’t even remember how it all came to this, her mind a whirlwind of scattered memories and dust where the girl’s smile used to be, the warmth she brought. But she’ll get it back, all of it. Her memories, her name, her life.

She won’t fall. Not today. Not until she sees her again.

As she runs, Luz stares at the comet flying over the sky. Now that all the lights in the area are off, it looks much brighter. Its tail extends far above the clouds, leaving behind small particles that look like colorful, bright scales of a giant butterfly scattered across the night sky.

 _I won't let you get away with it,_ Luz thinks to herself as she tries to catch her breath and force her muscles to run fast, faster on her way to the city council.

_“It’s okay. We still have time.”_

Luz repeats to herself again and again these words, spoken with conviction by someone not long ago. For a moment, Luz thinks she remembers green hair swinging over someone’s shoulders, her not quite managing to hide the sadness of her smile as she spoke to Luz, her silhouette cut against the last rays of the sun. But soon, the memory blurs away like the moon under the bright light of the comet among the stars.

* * *

_It happened in the early fall, back when I was still a high school student._

It was just about the time Amity got used to the new routine of coming home late after classes at her new high school and her part-time job shift afterwards, her parents and the twins already waiting for her for dinner. She remembers that the food was especially good that day, maybe because her father had finally dropped his clearly useless culinary hobby and the staff went back to making them food that was actually edible. After dinner, her father had a beer, Edric and Emira got themselves some fizzy drinks, and Amity had a cup of tea with her mother.

The imminent arrival of the comet at its perigee was the talk of the town. Not that Amity had any special interest in the stars or the universe, but she was curious, especially after hearing that its orbit around the sun lasted 1200 years, or that its semi-major axis extended over 16.8 billion kilometers. She was interested in facts like that; she thought it was a wonder that such phenomena were actually quite common, even though they happened on a completely different scale than humans. Yes, it was a fairly simple reasoning, but Amity still couldn't help but shiver with emotion when the day finally arrived. She’d have a story to tell her children, if she ever had them. Although part of her was also scared to death at the thought of a titanic and burning body flying over their heads.

The TV echoed all over their living room.

"Watch this!" one of the commentators who were broadcasting the show live had suddenly shouted in excitement. "It seems like the comet is splitting in two! And that’s causing… countless shooting stars to appear around it!”

The camera zoomed in and Amity leaned closer. Indeed, far beyond the skyscrapers of Hexside City, it looked as if the comet had split in two. Countless thin threads appeared and disappeared around the comet's head like the sparks of the New Year’s fireworks. It was a delight to see, a spectacle of exquisite beauty that didn’t seem of this world. As if in a trance, Amity stood still without taking her eyes off the television, bewitched by the beauty of the comet.

* * *

Suddenly a strange noise is heard through the wireless disaster prevention line, as if someone had just slammed the door wide open.

Then, Luz hears Willow screaming and some familiar male voices coming from the speakers.

**< <But what do you think you're doing? Turn that off at once!>>**

After a sound similar to a chair falling, a kind of squeaking and the characteristic whistle of the coupling is heard. And then, the broadcast is interrupted. Silence swallows the valley once again, like it never left.

"Willow!" Luz says aloud, freezing in her tracks as ragged pants leave her lips and her muscles burn from the run.

 _The teachers must’ve caught her!_ Big drops of sweat fall from her temples to the asphalt making a "tap, tap" sound before the ground below absorbs them. Luz has reached the prefecture road that goes all the way around Lake Bonesborough. This is the way to the town hall and the high school building.

She starts to notice the confusion among the people who are heading to the evacuation zone: "Wait, so where do we go now?", "Did something happen?", "Are we going to the high school building or not?”.

_Oh, no. This is a disaster._

If people don’t keep evacuating immediately, they won’t have enough time to make it to safety. Luz fiddles with a loose thread on the skirt of her uniform, nervous and uncertain as to what she should do next - go back to Gus and help him with making the people evacuate, or face Lilith and convince her to help them do this.

Just then, a new voice starts broadcasting over the wireless line.

**< <This is Bonesborough City Hall speaking.>>**

The person speaking is not her friend Willow, but someone they hear from time to time when the council wants to send an immediate message to the inhabitants of Bonesborough: the town hall broadcasting manager.

**< We are currently confirming the severity of the incident. We ask all Bonesborough residents to remain calm and alert at their current location until further notice.>>**

So they have found out the place where the broadcast was being emitted and someone from the town hall has alerted the school. Surely, at this moment, the teachers are questioning Willow. She can almost picture them asking, “Why did you do that, Park?” and Willow, true to her word and the bravest friend of all, keeping their secret mission safe from them knowing.

Luz is sure that, at this point, Gus is in big trouble, too. His father probably has already figured out that the explosions back at the power substation were caused by his hydrogel explosives, and Gus is the only one who had access to them besides his employees.

The new announcement makes Luz react and, without wasting any more time, she runs once again. She knows what she has to do. The faster way to help everyone is getting Lilith to work with her, she has the authority to evacuate the town - she is the _key_ to saving everybody. Luz just needs to be good enough at convincing her.

**< <We repeat: Stay calm and stay alert at your current location until further notice.>>**

_It's not enough to just stay alert! Why can’t they see that!? I have to stop this broadcast!_

Luz gets off the prefectural road and starts speeding down a fairly steep slope full of cracks in the pavement where the weeds come out. It's a shortcut to the town hall. She feels some thorns brushing against her naked legs and she soon feels some pain. Spider webs stick to Luz’s face and, to top it all off, something that looks like an insect gets into her mouth.

She manages to get to the end of the hill and starts running again on the paved road. There is no trace of anyone around her; the only presence that accompanies her is the voice of the speaker that repeats the instructions to stay alert in the place where they are.

Without stopping her running, Luz spits out the saliva she’s accumulated until then. The mixture of sweat, tears, and spider webs that covers her face makes it feel sticky, so she rubs it hard on her sleeves to remove all the dirt. The strength begins to leave her legs and Luz starts to stumble. But, still, she keeps running like she’s running out of time - because she possibly is - with barely enough air on her lungs to keep her on her feet. Her legs work as fast as she can make them, her breath catches in her throat; the blood rushing in her ears and every fiber of her body makes her feel like she might choke any minute now, maybe pass out from exhaustion. But she needs to keep going.

Luz keeps up the pace as she rushes down the road.

She reaches a soft curve; a little more and Luz almost crashes into a safety fence, placed there because just behind it there is a small slope that leads to the lake.

"Huh?"

She notices something strange out of the corner of her eye and turns towards the lake. It shines in the dim light. Without stopping running, Luz continues to look at it closely.

No, it is not the water that shines; the surface, completely calm, reflects the sky. Luz looks up at the dark vault above.

Hundreds of colored fragments pierce the sky beyond where she can see them. Drawing jagged lines in the turquoise vault, each of them gives off messy sparks of all shades. Blue, pink, green, yellow, orange. The lights dance around their beam that keeps falling. Like a pristine mirror, the lake projects two glowing tails.

_Wait a second, two…?_

Luz raises her eyes to follow the two trails. The sparks of light follow this newly formed fragment of the universe, detached from the comet, in its descent towards the surface - towards them, bold and inevitable.

_Ah…_

_Finally, the comet…_

"…has split in two!"

* * *

Amity started to change the TV channels. In each and every one of them, the commentators were talking quite enthusiastically about the unexpected turn the celestial show had taken.

"It's confirmed that the comet is splitting in two.”

"This was not foreseen, was it?"

"In any case, the truth is that it is a breathtaking spectacle…"

"Can we therefore conclude that the comet's nucleus has been divided into two halves?”

"Considering the tidal forces and that it has not exceeded Roche's limit, the only plausible explanation is that some change has taken place within the core of the comet itself…"

"The National Astronomical Observatory of Hexside has not yet made a statement on the subject…"

"Something similar happened in 1994 when at least twenty-one fragments of the comet Shoemaker-Levy collided with Jupiter…"

"Doesn't it represent any danger to us?"

"Comets are celestial bodies made of ice, so it will most likely melt when it comes into contact with the planet's surface. And if it were to become a meteorite, the chances of it impacting an inhabited area are minimal…"

"It is very difficult to predict in real time the orbit that the fragments could take…"

"Those of us who are living right now in these times are very fortunate to witness such a spectacular and magical celestial phenomenon. What's more, it happened to take place just when it's nighttime at the Boiling Isles. It could be said that such a stroke of luck only happens once every thousand years…!"

* * *

"If I may, I'd like to take a look at it." Amity said to her mother, who nodded in approval as she sipped her herbal scent tea.

She remembers getting up from the chair and just starting to speed up the steps of her building block - thankfully, theirs was one of the highest buildings in the neighborhood, so she wouldn't see other buildings blocking the way on the top - and, once she reached the roof, Amity looked up at the night sky.

Endless lights floated in the sky, as if a new and ethereal Hexside City covered the entirety of it, sprinkled with touches that follow the beam of the comet.

Amity’s heart shrank, expectant, as if that part of her had already lived this moment and that was nothing more than a memory of some past life of hers. And, at the same time, that scenario was like nothing she’d ever lived before. It was a vision so absolutely stunning, staring over the downtown skyline and the city spread out underneath, that it seemed to be taken out of a dream, she thought as her golden irises reflected the glow of the comet.

* * *

_Tell me…_

The comet split in two only makes Luz’s terrible loneliness worse, already quite pressing, while she runs around the village without stopping, even in the dark, as if she was a little girl who has lost her way. 

_Who are you?_

Without taking her eyes off the comet, Luz continues to run downhill, with her body so tilted forward by the impulse that it feels like she’s falling. Her head keeps spinning and the sky is rotating around her; the earth is slipping out from underneath their feet.

_Who is her? Who is that girl?_

Around her, there are long-casted shadows of those memories that escape from her grasp, vacant places that will always stay cold and lonely as long as she doesn’t remember her, blurring the fine line between dream and reality that constantly haunts her.

_Someone important to me. Someone I can't forget. Someone I didn't want to forget!_

It's not long now until Luz reaches the town hall. It won't be long now either before the comet turns into a meteorite and falls here. All around her is space Luz has always called home, untouched by the promise of destruction, a foreseen destiny about to be fulfilled and fall upon them - her family, her friends. And that girl. _That girl._

_Who…? Who are you? Who are you!?_

She thinks of her, thinks of a smile she used to know, blooming under the sunset, thinks of her voice and its comfort; thinks of her courage, and her resolution, and her growth. Drawing strength from weakness, Luz raises the pace.

_What is your name!?_

* * *

"Ah…!" Luz suddenly hears her own scream break through the silent void of the night.

Her foot has gotten caught in a pothole in the pavement, she’s tripping. The world tilts one, two, three degrees - if only she’d kept her eyes on where she was going, if only she’d paid attention to the world revolving around her instead of her clouded mind, if only she’d remember the name of the one person she needs the most. When she thinks " _I’m going to fall!_ ", she’s already rolling on the ground.

Luz hits her face and her body starts spinning like dead weight. She feels a sharp pain all over her body, as if she’d been stabbed by tiny knives all over her face, her shoulders, her back, her thighs, her arms. She feels the wet and cold presence of blood on her skin, but her eyelids don’t respond and she can’t open her eyes. Everything around her starts spinning and Luz loses consciousness.

* * *

_"Hey, Luz. Let’s do something so, when we wake up, we don’t forget about this"_ , she told Luz at that time. Luz remembers, an echo from an evening with her silhouette filtering the last rays of sunlight. _"Let's write our names!"_

 _It is true,_ Luz thinks, face pressed against the cold concrete ground, her open wounds aching and burning, and her whole body shaking the way leaves rock violently through the storm. _You wrote your name on the palm of my hand._

She fights the closed of her eyelids, the swell of dark waves threatening to consume her into unconsciousness once again. Still pressed to the cold and hard ground, Luz half-opens her eyes.

The stabbing pain in her head lingers, but little by little she starts to focus her eyes. Her right hand is extended right in front of her, her skin bruised and scratched. Luz starts to open her fist, or at least she tries to - She feels her whole body numb, her limbs extensions of herself made of cloth, something foreign she can’t control. She moves one finger after another until she finally manages to see the palm.

 _Yes, something is written there._ Luz squints to see it better.

**“I love you.”**

For a moment, Luz’s out of breath.

She grits her teeth, jaw tight and trembling underneath her skin, hearing the words in her voice. Luz can barely believe she’s read it right. She can only look on, read it again, dazed, buzzing, those dark strokes filling up her heart and her skin underneath.

She loves her.

She’s in love with her.

_She’s been in love with me all this time._

Back at the top of a mountain, she already knew she was in love with Luz. _That’s why she came for me, because she wanted me to keep living - because she loved me!_

Luz feels her heart overwhelmed. She knew all along; she loved her when she saw Luz through her golden eyes for the first time, she loved her when their foreheads were pressed together and their breaths were matched, uneven; she loved her when she ran her hands through Luz’s hair, when she told her that they still had time, that Luz could still save everyone; she loved her when she wrote those letters to her on the palm of Luz’s hand. She loved her when she let her go, when the night came and the reins of lights and shadows drift them apart once again.

She loved her.

_I didn’t get to…_

Luz tries to stand up, suddenly filled with resolution, but her muscles fail her, they ache. After a second and a third try, Luz manages to get her two legs to hold her up on the pavement again. She adjusts her weight comfortably between feet. Luz’s stomach clenches in on itself, _butterflies_ , as she looks at her palm again. The words _"I love you"_ are written in a very familiar handwriting.

_How am I supposed to know…?_

Luz thinks, her vision blurred, holding her own tears at bay. And, as they inevitably slide down her bruised cheeks, a warm wave runs through every crack and every sharp edge on her bones, as if she’d just been drowned in a warm fountain. Without stopping the tears, Luz draws a smile and, speaking to her - because she knows that, somewhere far away in time, buried deep underneath their helplessly intertwined souls, her words might reach her -, she says out loud:

"How am I supposed to know your name if you only write this…?" Luz breathes out, shocked to find her voice wavering, uncertain and unused to the concept of hope.

She takes in a breath, blinks firmly, blocking out the rest of the world for a second as she finds the words, her confession of love, echoing like a song inside her ribcage.

Raising her hand slowly, Luz presses her bruised cheek against the words written on her palm, her smile too big to contain. If affection were tangible - if love could stop the stars from falling, the earth from breaking underneath her feet - Luz’s would be that comet that’s shrouded in flames of ice and fire, ardent and inevitable in the vault of the sky, unstoppable on its way to reach for that one person.

Luz opens her eyes again, resolution shining brightly in her brown irises.

And again, she sets off running with all her strength.

_“I am not afraid of anything. I’m not afraid of anyone. I don't feel alone anymore.”_

Luz thinks, because she has finally - _finally_ , realized something.

_“I am in love.”_

It’s addicting, the truth; especially when it’s something she’s been too afraid to admit to herself. Luz had grown used to _her_ being there, as if she always had been, like a memory of a life they almost lived together somewhere else, at some other life. Luz’s world was comfortable with her in it, it was whole, larger, somehow - as if it needed the space to house all the things they’d build together.

_“We are in love with each other.”_

Luz’s openly sobbing as she runs, but these tears feel different; not sad, but finally unburdened, relieved; and so, so hopeful for the future, for everything she’s lost but that she can take back again.

_“So I am convinced that we will see each other again.”_

Luz looks at the sky, at the comet. It’s so alluring and boundless. It’s scary, but comforting to know that she has someone to return to when the day ends; a feeling of belonging, of home - something that goes on forever.

_“That’s why I will live.”_

That feeling of home - _no_ , it’s deeper than that. What a fragile sentiment compared to this. Luz had a home once, then another one, homes where she was content but never completely whole, until she learnt that home isn’t the place. Home is the people. And _this_ , this is something so beautifully overwhelming, so full of hope and certainty, that all she can do is run towards her destiny and think of her, of all the good things that await for Luz next to her if she makes it through the night - the stars spinning over the horizon.

_“I will survive.”_

Luz has been hers from the moment they first met, from even before that - from forever.

_“No matter what happens. Even if the stars fall, I will fight and live.”_

Luz had never pictured herself to be here, running under a dream of a blue sky with infinity crashing around her and the thread of time, the entire balance between life and death pooling on her hands, but she is. I’ll live, she thinks, I’ll live.

_“For her.”_

* * *

“Lilith!”

Luz yells, hand gripping tightly the wooden door frame as she enters the mayoress’ office; exhausted, bleeding, sweaty, panting, but alive - _oh_ , so alive and resolved.

“Luz!”

King runs to her and wraps his tiny arms around her leg. Leaned against the wall on the opposite side of the room, Eda opens her golden eyes wide when she sees her.

“Luz.” Lilith frowns, placing her hands on the table with strength. “Again with the same nonsense?” But her irritation fades when Luz walks up to her, slowly, with her eyes burning and the desperate need to do something, to change their fate, to save them all.

She takes in a breath, standing eye to eye to Lilith.

She will make her listen. They would make things right here and now.

And then --

* * *

The world was silent when the meteor fell.

The radius of an earthquake, the expanding mushroom cloud just like that of a nuclear bomb - there’s natural disasters and then there’s this. The world erases itself, it cracks wide open upon their eyes, swallowing everything, even the light; all the paths built, all the colors, the feelings, the people, the life that once existed. It cracks wide open, rewrites itself brand new, the ruins that are left when the debacle is over.

And then, the world was swallowed by silence.

* * *

No one could have predicted that the comet's nucleus would be shattered as it passed near the Earth until it happened, nor that inside the ice core there was a devilish rock hidden.

Just that day, the autumn festival was being held in the village. Time of impact: 8:43 p.m. Place of impact: the area where the festival was held, the sanctuary of the First Witches.

When the meteor fell, a large area around the shrine was instantly destroyed. The crater created by the impact was almost 1 kilometer in diameter. Because the crater bordered Lake Bonesborough, water flowed into it, engulfing more than half of the town.

This is how Bonesborough became the scene of the worst documented meteorite catastrophe in human history.

* * *

Amity opens her eyes.

She’s lying on the floor, face pressed against the rocky ground. _Have I slept on the floor?_ As her head clears the haziness of sleep, she gets up, joints protesting the sudden movement.

_Where am I?_

She’s still at the top of the mountain, the blue sky is painted with clouds like white strokes, surrounding the mountain range with an intense blue.

She looks down below and finds the New Lake of Bonesborough at her feet, all the facts she’s learned about the comet coming back to her mind.

_I don’t understand…_

The haze of the dawn that reflects the first rays of light stretches to infinity in a peaceful way. It’s hard to imagine that this place was the scene of such a catastrophe three years ago. It doesn't sink in her head that the comet she saw in the Hexside City sky at that time caused this. It feels foreign, like it happened once in a nightmare but that can’t possibly be something real.

She looks around, feeling the void that, somehow, there’s something missing. Like there was something _there_ \- something really important that she doesn’t have anymore. But she can’t possibly know what this feeling means. It feels distant and blurred, a hazy dream hard to grasp; there’s no one around to ask anyway.

Amity finds herself standing on the top of the mountain, alone. She looks at her right hand with an automatic motion, like it’s a habit she’s always had.

_That’s strange…_

In the palm of her right hand, there’s a single, short, not too thick line drawn halfway through. Amity follows the stroke with her fingertip, very carefully.

"What's this?" She whispers, trying to ignore the ghosts of that _something_ that’s missing, the overwhelming silence around her, the dry tears that must’ve stained her cheeks hours ago and that she can still feel ghosting her skin. "What am I… doing here?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger! Sorry about that.  
> I'm gonna be honest with you guys, university is taking so much of my time and I haven't finished writing the last chapter yet, I want it to be the great ending you deserve to read and that this story has been building up to. It's taking a little more time, so I probably won't be able to post it this saturday. Stay suscribed to be notified when I do post it, as soon as I can!  
> And stay safe and healthy until then <3


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